CPAP to Reduce the Risk of Cancer in OSA?-A Meta-Analysis of 3 RCTs.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been hypothesised to promote cancer via intermittent hypoxia, and assessing what happens when OSA is controlled by continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) may provide valuable insight. We conducted a meta-analysis of three randomised controlled trials (SAVE, RICCADSA, ISAACC) assessing cancer incidence from adverse event data on neoplasms among OSA patients randomised to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) versus control. Across trials, cancer incidence was similar between groups, and meta-analysis showed no statistically significant difference (CI 0.55-1.68). Treating sleep apnea with CPAP does not appear to markedly reduce the risk of incident cancers.