Recently two studies reveled a link between sleep apnea and cancer. A study at the University of Wisconsin found that patients with servere sleep apnea were five times more likely to develope cancer of some type. Patients with moderate sleep apnea were two times more likely to develope cancer.
Another study from the Spainish Sleep Network looked at five thousand people over seven years and found 65% of those with sleep apnea developed some type of cancer.
Greater deprivation of oxygen during sleep makes patients more likely to develope cancer. Doctors recommend patients with signs of sleep apnea, such as snoring and fatigue should be tested.
