Abstract
Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation between cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and the incidence of bronchogenic carcinoma. It has been shown that the presence of anti-CMV T cells can be indicative of decreased risk of developing malignancy. These characteristics of CMV allows it to have potential therapeutic benefits in the context of bronchogenic carcinoma cancer protection.
Methods: The data was provided by a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant national database to evaluate the patients infected versus patients not infected with cytomegalovirus using ICD-10 and ICD-9 codes. Access to the database was granted by the Holy Cross Health, Fort Lauderdale for the purpose of academic research with standard statistical methods used.
Results: 14,319 patients in both the infected and control group were found and matched by age range and CCI score. The incidence of bronchogenic carcinoma was 1.69% and 243 patients in the CMV group compared to 6.08% and 871 patients in the control group. The difference was statistically significant by a P value of less than 2.6x10^-16 with an odds ratio of 0.26 (95% CI 0.24-0.30).
Conclusion: The study shows a statistically significant correlation between cytomegalovirus and a reduced incidence of bronchogenic carcinoma. Further evaluation is recommended to assess the immune mechanisms of CMV that lead to decreased bronchogenic carcinoma incidence. Potentially, the therapeutic usage of a prior CMV infection could benefit patients at risk of developing bronchogenic carcinoma by producing a stronger immune response against malignancy.
