Cancer And Psoriasis: Is There A Link Between The Two? – Medical Daily

According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, more than eight million Americans suffer from psoriasis, a chronic skin condition marked by flare-ups onthe knees, elbows and scalp. Psoriasis is the byproduct of genetic factors exacerbated by stress, depression, trauma and other medical conditions.

Not focusing on the relationship between other comorbidities, a study published in October by JAMA Dermatology analyzed the link between cancer and organ-specific psoriasis, a correlation not been thoroughly established before.

As per scientists, since psoriasis is developed through inflammation, also linked to cancer risk, there could be an association between the two diseases. Smoking, drinking and obesity are known risk factors for people with psoriasis, apart from immunomodulatory and potentially carcinogenic treatments.

In fact, a systematic review done in the past was limited to only people with psoriatic arthritis, and omitted autoimmune conditions. The recent comprehensive meta-analysis by University of Manchester aimed to ascertain susceptibility to cancer among people who suffering from psoriasis.

What The Study Found

The review included 58 observational studies, of which 50 had participants with cancer, 15 reported cancer mortality and 7 studieshad both. These studies were adjusted and grouped together based on several overlapping factors. Studies were grouped into level 1 based on adjustments for age and sex. Level 2 studies were adjusted based on age, sex and risk factors such as smoking, alcohol and obesity.

The overall risk of developing cancer was significantly elevated in people with psoriasis and for a number of site-specific cancers; the risk of cancer mortality was found to be elevated in those with severe psoriasis, the researchers stated in the paper.

With regard to site-specific cancers, we observed elevated incident cancer risks for lymphoma, keratinocyte, esophageal, liver, and pancreatic cancers in studies of severe psoriasis and in those involving people with all severities of psoriasis. Similarly, esophageal, liver, and pancreatic cancers also demonstrated an increased risk when considering cancer mortality in studies of severe psoriasis, the researchers added further in the paper.

Evidence from cohort studies of severe psoriasis indicated a 1.22-fold increased risk of developing cancer when compared with populations without psoriasis, a result not significantly different from that of all psoriasis severities. With regard to cancer mortality, a 1.22-fold increased risk of dying due to cancer compared with psoriasis-free populations was observed in studies of severe psoriasis, the researchers explained.

The evidence from this meta-analysis not only suggests that cancer should be given more consideration as an important comorbidity of psoriasis but also begins to present evidence that this risk could be alleviated to some extent through lifestyle behavior change, they concluded.

Plaque psoriasis can be itchy and painful. Image courtesy of Pixabay, public domain

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Cancer And Psoriasis: Is There A Link Between The Two? - Medical Daily