Malignancies in systemic lupus erythematosus: a 2015 update

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Oncology
• Immunology

Background:

• Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) exhibit different cancer incidence rates compared to the general population.
• Understanding these altered risks is crucial for patient management and research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent literature on malignancy risk in SLE patients.
• To explore proposed mechanisms behind these altered cancer susceptibilities.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of recent studies on SLE and malignancy.
• Analysis of epidemiological data and proposed pathogenetic mechanisms.

Main Results:

• Confirmed increased risk for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, lung, liver, vulvar/vaginal, and thyroid cancers.
• Confirmed decreased risk for breast and prostate cancers.
• Lymphomagenesis linked to inflammatory cytokines and viral diseases; decreased hormone-sensitive cancers linked to autoantibodies and protein downregulation.

Conclusions:

• Recent data reinforce known altered malignancy rates in SLE.
• Elucidation of cancer development mechanisms in SLE is advancing.
• Investigations into novel therapeutics targeting these pathways are ongoing.