Table 4.
Sensitivity analyses of talc exposure on the risk of stomach cancer.
| Model | Person-Years (Cases) | Adjusted Hazard Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR (95% CI) | p-Value | ||
| Original model | |||
| Cumulative talc exposure | |||
| Low to none (≤ 6g) | 9,774,552 (1816) | 1.00 | |
| Medium (6~21g) | 87,550 (23) | 2.30 (1.48–3.57) | <0.001 |
| High (>21g) | 47,004 (10) | 1.58 (0.79–3.17) | 0.19 |
| Changing the cut-off points for levels of talc exposure a |
|||
| Cumulative talc exposure | |||
| Unexposed | 9,728,639 (1804) | 1.00 | |
| Low (≤10.5 g) | 88,312 (23) | 2.40 (1.54–3.73) | 0.007 |
| High (>10.5 g) | 92,155 (22) | 1.89 (1.19–3.01) | <0.001 |
| Excluding time to event less than five years b |
|||
| Cumulative talc exposure | |||
| Low to none (≤6 g) | 9,755,288 (1671) | 1.00 | |
| Medium (6–21 g) | 78,828 (6) | 0.86 (0.39–1.93) | 0.72 |
| High (>21 g) | 43,288 (7) | 1.99 (0.81–3.59) | 0.16 |
The adjusted hazard ratio was adjusted by age, gender, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) excluding malignancies. Bold numbers: significant results. a The cut-off point for distinguishing levels of talc exposure was changed into the median of cumulative exposure in subjects received talc prescription. b The time to event (stomach cancer, drop-out, or follow-up endpoint) less than five years was excluded to ensure the 5-year minimal induction period of talc to stomach cancer.