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Investigators found no increased cancer rate for patients who underwent spinal fusion with rhBMP
Results from a study published in Spine indicated patients who underwent spine fusion and received recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein did not have an increased incidence of cancer.
Using a Washington hospital database, researchers compared 4,246 patients who underwent spine fusion for degenerative disease with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein (rhBMP) to a cohort of 12,668 patients who did not receive rhBMP during their procedures. The average follow-up period was 4.7 years. Investigators matched the patients according to age, sex and treatment year. The primary outcome of the study was a first diagnosis of cancer as evidenced by data in a cancer registry.
Results showed 449 patients were diagnosed with cancer. Of these patients, 117 had received rhBMP and 332 did not receive rhBMP. Investigators noted similar incidence rates for cancer between the group of patients who received rhBMP and the group that did not, with rates of 9.5 and 9 per 1,000 person years, respectively. No significant differences were seen between the rhBMP and control groups with regard to cancer rates based on fusion site and the surgical method used. ‒ by Monica Jaramillo
Disclosure: The study was funded by AO Spine North America.