HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Sleep Apnea Does Not Cause Cancer

Previous research has linked sleep apnea to cancer progression. However, these studies included only a small number of participants, and there may have been some bias in their measurements. Obstructive sleep apnea is a breathing disorder in which the airways repeatedly close while the patient is sleeping, causing fragmented sleep that increases risk for a variety of other health problems. About 18 million Americans have sleep apnea. Some previous studies have linked sleep apnea to cancer progression. However, these studies included only a small number of participants, and there may have been some bias in their measurements. The new study looked at 10,149 sleep apnea patients who took part in a sleep study between 1994 and 2010, and researchers cross-referenced that information with health administrative databases from 1991-2013.