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Correlation between systemic lupus erythematosus and malignancies: a cross-sectional population-based study.
Shir Azrielant1,2, Shmuel Tiosano1,2, Abdulla Watad1,2
1Department of Medicine 'B', Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.
Immunologic Research
|January 17, 2017
Summary
Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have a significantly higher risk of developing various cancers, especially hematologic malignancies. This highlights the need for increased cancer screening in SLE patients.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Oncology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) involve immune system dysregulation.
- Previous research suggests a link between SLE and cancer, but findings on specific cancer types are inconsistent and may lack external validity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between SLE and the incidence of various malignancies.
- To conduct a large-scale, population-based study to enhance the validity of findings.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study utilizing data from Clalit Health Services in Israel.
- Inclusion of 5018 adult SLE patients and 25,090 matched controls.
- Analysis of medical records and logistic regression models adjusted for age, gender, BMI, smoking, and socioeconomic status.
Main Results:
- Malignancy of any type was more prevalent in the SLE population (OR 3.35).
- SLE diagnosis was independently associated with increased risks of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (OR 3.02), Hodgkin lymphoma (OR 2.43), multiple myeloma (OR 2.57), cervix uteri malignancies (OR 1.65), and genital organ malignancies (OR 2.32).
Conclusions:
- Systemic lupus erythematosus is independently associated with a higher risk of developing various malignancies, particularly hematologic cancers.
- Findings suggest that cancer screening protocols for SLE patients may need to be enhanced.
