Experimental studies have indicated that
disulfiram (
Antabuse) has
antineoplastic effects against
melanoma, breast, and
prostate cancer. To explore this hypothesis, we examined the association between
disulfiram use and these
cancers in a nationwide register-based case-control study nested within ever-users (≥one prescription) of
disulfiram. Cases were all Danish individuals with a histologically verified first-time diagnosis of
malignant melanoma, breast, or
prostate cancer during 2000-2009. For each case, we selected four
cancer-free controls matched for age, sex, and year of first
disulfiram prescription using risk set sampling. Similarly, for secondary analyses, we selected case-control populations for selected tobacco-related and alcohol-related
cancer types, that is,
cancers of the buccal cavity, liver, lung, and
colorectal cancer.
Disulfiram use 1 year before
cancer diagnosis and the corresponding date for controls were disregarded. We estimated crude and adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for
cancer associated with long-term (≥500 daily defined doses) versus one-time (one prescription) use of
disulfiram. Among 53 856
disulfiram users, we identified 166, 644, and 464 cases, respectively, of
melanoma, breast, or
prostate cancer. Adjusted odds ratios for
melanoma, breast, or
prostate cancer associated with long-term
disulfiram use were 1.04 (95% CI: 0.60-1.78), 0.92 (95% CI: 0.70-1.22), and 0.77 (95% CI: 0.56-1.06), respectively. For
prostate cancer, dose-response analyses showed a further risk reduction with the highest cumulative dose level of
disulfiram; however, the test for trend did not reach statistical significance. Our study provides some epidemiological support for a protective effect of
disulfiram against prostate and
breast cancer.