# Neoplasms Associated with the Onset of Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Case–Control Study Using the All of Us Cohort

## TL;DR

This study found that certain benign and malignant tumors are linked to an earlier onset of age-related macular degeneration, suggesting shared underlying mechanisms.

## Contribution

The study uncovers novel associations between specific neoplasms and AMD using large-scale informatic analysis in a U.S. cohort.

## Key findings

- Benign neoplasms of the colon, skin, and rectum showed strong associations with AMD onset.
- AMD patients with certain benign neoplasms developed the condition earlier than others.
- Shared mechanisms like chronic inflammation may underlie both AMD and tumor formation.

## Abstract

This study investigated the association between prior diagnoses of neoplasms and the onset of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

A retrospective case-control study was conducted using health records from 2 724 individuals in the All of Us Program, a longitudinal cohort of U.S. adults. Odds ratios (OR) and Fisher’s exact tests were used to evaluate associations between neoplasms and AMD in a matched cohort. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis assessed how neoplasms affected time to AMD onset.

Benign neoplasms of the colon (OR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.55–2.33), skin (OR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.16–1.84), and rectum (OR: 2.90, 95% CI: 1.53–5.48) showing the strongest and statistically significant associations with AMD. Patients with these benign neoplasms also developed AMD earlier. Although malignant neoplasms of skin of face (OR: 1.97, 95% CI: 1.11–3.49), prostate (OR: 1.47, 95% CI: 0.98–2.22), and breast (OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 0.95–2.02) were also more frequent in AMD patients, these associations were not as significant.

Insights into the associations between neoplasms and earlier AMD onset may help ophthalmologists identify at-risk patients and enable earlier intervention. These findings suggest shared pathophysiological mechanisms, such as chronic inflammation and vascular dysfunction, may contribute to both tumour formation and AMD development.

Large scale informatic analysis applied to the All of Us Research Program uncovered novel associations between systemic benign and malignant neoplasms and age-related macular degeneration suggesting a shared multisystem basis for AMD and cancer pathogenesis.