Association between cytomegalovirus infection and cancer‑related mortality in the US adults

In a nationwide cohort of US adults, an exploration of the association between cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and cancer‑related mortality was conducted. We acquired data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (1988–1994), including 11,138 individuals who were aged 18–90 years at enrollment and underwent CMV serology assessments. CMV infection was determined by CMV antibody testing. Cancer‑related mortality status was ascertained until December 2019 utilizing the National Death Index linkage data and determined by neoplasms. The Cox proportional hazard model was applied to estimate the potential association between CMV infection and the risk of cancer-related mortality. During a median follow-up of 26.1 years, 1514 cancer‑related deaths were identified in the study cohort. After adjusting for age, sex, and ethnicity, CMV infection was associated with a higher hazard of cancer‑related mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.39, 95 % CI: 1.13, 1.70). Further adjustments for body mass index, family income, and smoking status slightly attenuated the magnitude of the association (HR: 1.24, 95 % CI: 1.00, 1.53). However, no significant interaction was observed among gender by subgroup analysis. CMV infection might be an independent risk factor for cancer‑related mortality among US adults. Future studies could focus on the mechanisms through which CMV infection influences mortality induced by neoplasms and develop targeted interventions to reduce the risk. •Association between CMV infection and cancer-related mortality.•Data from NHANES III enhance the generalizability and external validity.•Account for several potential confounders and Stratified analysis.