Cancer and obstructive sleep apnea: An updated meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between cancers and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been discussed for decades. However, the previous meta-analysis led to opposite conclusions. To further investigate this controversial issue, we performed this systematic review and meta-analysis update. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched and studies on “cancer and OSA” were all included. Two reviewers independently searched articles, extracted data, and assessed the quality of included studies. Moreover, the overall incidence of cancer and OSA in corresponding populations was calculated. RESULTS: Of the 1434 titles identified, 22 articles involving more than 32.1 million patients were included in this meta-analysis. An overall incidence of OSA positive individuals in cancer was 46 (95%CI, 27–67)%, and the prevalence of cancers in OSA patients reached 1.53 (95%CI, 1.01–2.31) times higher than non-OSA individuals. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis indicated that there was a high prevalence of OSA in cancer patients, and individuals with OSA were more likely to develop tumors, and the incidence was related to the severity of OSA.