Cancer Risk Among Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Learn about the link between multiple sclerosis and increased cancer risks, including bladder and brain cancer.

Multiple sclerosis(MS) increases certain types of cancers in them. It revealed that cervical, brain and bladder cancers have a higher occurrence rate.

The study does not show that MS increases a person’s risk of cancer. It just shows an association between them. The study was published in the journal Neurology ().

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In multiple sclerosis, the immune system affects the myelin sheath, the fatty, white substance that coats and shields the nerves. MS can be chronic, unexpected, debilitating and unpredictable.

Patients with MS take more diagnostic tests to monitor disease progression, during these tests, it is easier to detect other conditions.

Cancer Occurence in Multiple Sclerosis Ptients

The study examined the association between certain types of cancer and multiple sclerosis (MS), taking into account an individual’s age and the type of cancer. The research found a slight increase in cancer risk overall.

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The study analyzed ten years of data from the French national healthcare database. Researchers identified 1,40,649 MS patients and matched them with 5,62,596 individuals without MS based on factors such as age, sex, and place of residence.

All participants were cancer-free three years prior to the study, and they were tracked for an average of eight years. During the study, 8,368 people with MS and 31,796 people without MS developed cancer.

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Researchers determined there were 799 cancers per 100,000 person-years for people with MS and 736 cancers per 100,000 person-years for people without MS. Person-years represent both the number of people in the study and the amount of time each person spends in the study.

Increased Risk of Bladder Cancer in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Researchers found people with MS had a 6% increased risk of developing any type of cancer regardless of age, sex and residence. They also found cancer risk was higher in those under 55 and lower in people 65 and older when compared to people without MS.

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Researchers then looked at cancer types. People with MS had a 71% increased risk for bladder cancer, a 68% increased risk for brain cancer and a 24% increased risk for cervical cancer. However, they also had a 20% lower risk of prostate cancer, a 10% lower risk of colorectal cancer and a 9% lower risk of breast cancer.

“While our study found a higher risk for brain cancer, it may be due in part to earlier detection in those with MS since they regularly have brain scans which may detect cancers earlier, before a person has symptoms,” said Leray, PhD, of Rennes University in France. “Frequent urinary tract infections in people with MS and the use of immunosuppressant drugs may contribute to their higher risk of bladder and cervical cancers.”

Leray added, “The lower risk for colorectal and breast cancers may be due in part to fewer people with MS getting screened for cancer in older age when they may be experiencing more MS symptoms. More research is needed, including studies that look at more closely at how cancer screenings may play a role.”

A limitation of the study was that researchers were unable to adjust for factors such as education, income, smoking and alcohol consumption since this information was not available in the national database.

Reference:

Cancer Risk Among Patients With Multiple Sclerosis A 10-Year Nationwide Retrospective Cohort Study- (https:www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000209885)

Source-Eurekalert