Is use of vitamin K antagonists associated with the risk of prostate cancer?: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) may have potential antitumor effects in prostate cancer. However, the findings of observational studies are inconsistent. The purpose of the present study was to estimate the quantitative association between VKAs use and prostate cancer risk by combining the results of all eligible observational studies. METHODS: PubMed and Web of Science database were searched from inception until May, 2018. A DerSimonian random-effects model was used to combine the studies. Study heterogeneity was measured using the chi-squared and I(2) statistics. RESULTS: Six eligible studies were eventually included in our meta-analysis. There was an inverse but not statistically significant association between ever use of VKAs and the risk of prostate cancer (relative risk [RR] 0.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.70–1.01, P = .063) with large heterogeneity across studies (P < .001 for heterogeneity, I(2) = 94.6%). When analysis restricted to long term of VKAs user (>3 years), the pooled risk estimate was 0.83 (0.77–0.90) without obvious heterogeneity (P = .597, I(2) = 0.0%). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis indicates that VKAs use may be associated with a decreased risk of prostate cancer, especially in long-term users.