Skin cancers associated with autoimmune conditions among elderly adults

• Published in: British journal of cancer Vol. 103; no. 1; pp. 112 - 114
• Main Authors: Lanoy, E, Engels, E A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 29-06-2010; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 692/699/249/1313; 692/699/67/1813; 692/700/1518; 692/700/565/251/1574; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Autoimmune Diseases - complications; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cancer Research; Case-Control Studies; Dermatology; Drug Resistance; Epidemiology; Female; Graves disease; Humans; Inflammatory bowel disease; Kaposis sarcoma; Lymphoma; Male; Medical diagnosis; Medical research; Medical sciences; Medicare; Melanoma; Molecular Medicine; Oncology; Psoriasis; Rheumatoid arthritis; Risk; Scleroderma; Short Communication; Skin cancer; Skin Neoplasms - etiology; Skin Neoplasms - immunology; Surveillance; Tumors; Tumors of the skin and soft tissue. Premalignant lesions; France; United States > US; aged; skin neoplasm; autoimmune conditions; Human; Autoimmunity; Skin disease; Malignant tumor; Skin cancer; Cancerology; Adult; Skin; Elderly; Cancer
• ISSN: 0007-0920; 1532-1827
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6605733

Background:
Immunosuppression is a risk factor for certain skin cancers. Autoimmune conditions can involve the skin, and may involve immunosuppressive therapies.
Methods:
We conducted a population-based case–control study among elderly US adults using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare-linked data of 44 613 skin cancer cases and 178 452 frequency-matched controls. Medicare claims identified autoimmune conditions. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) compared prevalence in cases and controls.
Results:
The most frequent autoimmune condition was rheumatoid arthritis (2.29%), which was associated with slightly increased risk of Merkel cell carcinoma (
N
=1977; OR (95%CI): 1.39 (1.10–1.74)). Risk of cutaneous non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (
N
=2652) was increased with psoriasis (OR (95%CI): 3.20 (2.62–3.92)). Risk of Kaposi's sarcoma (
N
=773) was elevated with ulcerative colitis (OR (95%CI): 2.76 (1.42–5.39)), and risk of other sarcomas (
N
=1324) was elevated with Graves disease (2.62 (1.30–5.31)).
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that immune disturbances in the skin, arising from autoimmune conditions or their treatment, promote development of skin cancer.