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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2020 Sep 17.
Published in final edited form as: Ann Intern Med. 2020 Feb 18;172(6):369–380. doi: 10.7326/M19-3369

Table 3:

Frequency and Relative Risks Comparing Hematologic and Cancer Adverse Events for Methotrexate to Placebo During the Randomized Phase of CIRT

Low dose methotrexate (n=2391) Placebo (n=2395) Risk Difference* Hazard ratio (95% CI)

N (%)* Rate* 3-year* N (%)* Rate* 3-year*
Anemia 722 (30.2) 20.9 (19.4, 22.4) 0.37 (0.35, 0.40) 555 (23.2) 15 (13.8, 16.3) 0.30 (0.28, 0.33) 0.07 (0.04, 0.11) 1.36 (1.22, 1.52)
 Mild 630 (26.4) 17.7 (16.3, 19.1) 0.32 (0.30, 0.35) 485 (20.3) 12.8 (11.6, 13.9) 0.26 (0.24, 0.29) 0.06 (0.03, 0.09) 1.36 (1.21, 1.53)
 Moderate 110 (4.6) 2.4 (2.0, 2.9) 0.07 (0.05, 0.08) 76 (3.2) 1.7 (1.3, 2.1) 0.04 (0.03, 0.06) 0.02 (0.01, 0.04) 1.45 (1.08, 1.94)
 Severe 10 (0.4) 0.2 (0.1, 0.3) 0.01 (0.00, 0.01) 9 (0.4) 0.2 (0.1, 0.3) 0.01 (0.00, 0.01) 0.00 (0.00, 0.00) 1.10 (0.45, 2.71)
Thrombocytopenia 204 (8.5) 4.7 (4.1, 5.4) 0.12 (0.10, 0.14) 256 (10.7) 6.1 (5.4, 6.9) 0.14 (0.12, 0.16) −0.02 (−0.04, 0.01) 0.78 (0.65, 0.93)
 Mild 202 (8.5) 4.7 (4.0, 5.3) 0.12 (0.10, 0.14) 255 (10.7) 6.1 (5.3, 6.8) 0.14 (0.12, 0.16) −0.02 (−0.04, 0.01) 0.77 (0.64, 0.93)
 Moderate 2 (0.1) 0.0 (0.0, 0.1) 0.00 (0.00, 0.00) 3 (0.1) 0.1 (0.0, 0.1) 0.00 (0.00, 0.01) 0.00 (0.00, 0.00) 0.66 (0.11, 3.96)
 Severe 0 (0.0) 0.0 (0.0, 0.0) 0.00 (0.00, 0.00) 0 (0.0) 0.0 (0.0, 0.0) 0.00 (0.00, 0.00) 0.00 (0.00, 0.00) -
Leukopenia 220 (9.2) 5.1 (4.4, 5.8) 0.12 (0.11, 0.14) 152 (6.4) 3.5 (2.9, 4.0) 0.08 (0.07, 0.10) 0.04 (0.02, 0.06) 1.46 (1.19, 1.80)
  Mild 204 (8.5) 4.7 (4.1, 5.4) 0.12 (0.10, 0.13) 139 (5.8) 3.2 (2.7, 3.7) 0.08 (0.06, 0.09) 0.04 (0.02, 0.06) 1.48 (1.19, 1.84)
  Moderate 28 (1.2) 0.6 (0.4, 0.8) 0.02 (0.01, 0.03) 19 (0.8) 0.4 (0.2, 0.6) 0.01 (0.01, 0.02) 0.00 (0.00, 0.01) 1.47 (0.82, 2.62)
Cancer Type
Any cancer 101 (4.2) 2.2 (1.8, 2.7) 0.07 (0.06, 0.08) 89 (3.7) 2.0 (1.6, 2.4) 0.06 (0.05, 0.07) 0.01 (−0.01, 0.03) 1.13 (0.85, 1.51)
Skin 53 (2.2) 1.2 (0.8, 1.5) 0.04 (0.03, 0.05) 26 (1.1) 0.6 (0.3, 0.8) 0.02 (0.01, 0.03) 0.02 (0.01, 0.03) 2.04 (1.28, 3.26)
Solid tumor 39 (1.6) 0.8 (0.6, 1.1) 0.02 (0.02, 0.03) 49 (2.1) 1.1 (0.8, 1.4) 0.03 (0.02, 0.04) −0.01 (−0.02, 0.00) 0.79 (0.52, 1.20)
 Lung 10 (0.4) 0.2 (0.1, 0.3) 0.01 (0.00, 0.01) 8 (0.3) 0.2 (0.1, 0.3) 0.01 (0.00, 0.01) 0.00 (0.00, 0.00) 1.24 (0.49, 3.13)
 Head and neck 0 (0.0) 0.0 (0.0, 0.0) 0.00 (0.00, 0.00) 1 (0.0) 0.0 (0.0, 0.1) 0.00 (0.00, 0.00) 0.00 (0.00, 0.00) -
 Prostate 10 (0.4) 0.2 (0.1, 0.3) 0.01 (0.00, 0.02) 16 (0.7) 0.3 (0.2, 0.5) 0.01 (0.01, 0.02) 0.00 (−0.01, 0.00) 0.62 (0.28, 1.36)
 Bladder 7 (0.3) 0.2 (0.0, 0.3) 0.00 (0.00, 0.01) 5 (0.2) 0.1 (0.0, 0.2) 0.00 (0.00, 0.01) 0.00 (0.00, 0.00) 1.39 (0.44, 4.40)
 Breast 2 (0.1) 0.0 (0.0, 0.1) 0.00 (0.00, 0.00) 5 (0.2) 0.1 (0.0, 0.2) 0.00 (0.00, 0.01) 0.00 (0.00, 0.00) 0.40 (0.08, 2.06)
 Kidney 2 (0.1) 0.0 (0.0, 0.1) 0.00 (0.00, 0.01) 4 (0.2) 0.1 (0.0, 0.2) 0.00 (0.00, 0.01) 0.00 (0.00, 0.00) 0.49 (0.09, 2.72)
 Intestinal/colon 8 (0.3) 0.2 (0.1, 0.3) 0.00 (0.00, 0.01) 10 (0.4) 0.2 (0.1, 0.4) 0.01 (0.00, 0.01) 0.00 (−0.01, 0.00) 0.80 (0.32, 2.01)
Hematologic 6 (0.3) 0.1 (0.0, 0.2) 0.00 (0.00, 0.01) 7 (0.3) 0.2 (0.0, 0.3) 0.00 (0.00, 0.01) 0.00 (0.00, 0.00) 0.85 (0.29, 2.51)
Other 3 (0.1) 0.1 (0.0, 0.1) 0.00 (0.00, 0.01) 8 (0.3) 0.2 (0.1, 0.3) 0.01 (0.00, 0.01) 0.00 (−0.01, 0.00) 0.37 (0.01, 1.39)

Notes: These numbers are based on the modified intention to treat analyses (see text for details).

*

N includes first events of a given type and the percentages refer to the number of subjects with a given adverse event divided by all subjects in the respective treatment arm. The first mild, moderate, and severe are all included. As well, the first of each type of adverse event was included. Rates are per 100 person-years. 3-year refers to the cumulative incidence percent risk. Risk difference is based on the 3-year cumulative incidence percent risk.