BACKGROUND: Evidence points to a link between systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and an increased risk of lung cancer. Our objective was to provide a brief report of the lung cancer cases from an SLE cohort, with respect to demographics, histology, and exposures to smoking and immunosuppressive medications. METHODS: Data were obtained from a multi-site international cohort study of over 9500 SLE patients from 23 centres. Cancer cases were ascertained through linkage with regional tumor registries. RESULTS: We analyzed information on histology subtype for 30 lung cancer cases that had occurred across five countries. Most (75%) of these 30 cases were female, with a median age of 61 (range 27-91) years. In eight cases, the histological type was not specified. In the remainder, the most common histological type reported was adenocarcinoma (N=8; two of the adenocarcinomas were bronchoalveolar carcinoma) followed by small cell carcinoma (N=6), and squamous cell carcinoma (N=6) with one case each of large cell carcinoma and carcinoid tumor. Most (71%) of the lung cancer cases were smokers; only the minority (20%) had been previously exposed to immunosuppressive agents. CONCLUSIONS: The histological distribution of the lung cancers from the SLE sample appeared similar to that of lung cancer patients in the general population, though the possibility of a higher proportion of more uncommon tumors (such as bronchoalveolar and carcinoid) cannot be excluded. A large proportion of the cancer cases were smokers, which is also not surprising. However, only a minority appeared to have been exposed to immunosuppressive agents. A large case-cohort study currently in progress should help shed light on the relative importance of these exposures in lung cancer risk for SLE patients.
BACKGROUND: Evidence points to a link between systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and an increased risk of lung cancer. Our objective was to provide a brief report of the lung cancer cases from an SLE cohort, with respect to demographics, histology, and exposures to smoking and immunosuppressive medications. METHODS: Data were obtained from a multi-site international cohort study of over 9500 SLEpatients from 23 centres. Cancer cases were ascertained through linkage with regional tumor registries. RESULTS: We analyzed information on histology subtype for 30 lung cancer cases that had occurred across five countries. Most (75%) of these 30 cases were female, with a median age of 61 (range 27-91) years. In eight cases, the histological type was not specified. In the remainder, the most common histological type reported was adenocarcinoma (N=8; two of the adenocarcinomas were bronchoalveolar carcinoma) followed by small cell carcinoma (N=6), and squamous cell carcinoma (N=6) with one case each of large cell carcinoma and carcinoid tumor. Most (71%) of the lung cancer cases were smokers; only the minority (20%) had been previously exposed to immunosuppressive agents. CONCLUSIONS: The histological distribution of the lung cancers from the SLE sample appeared similar to that of lung cancerpatients in the general population, though the possibility of a higher proportion of more uncommon tumors (such as bronchoalveolar and carcinoid) cannot be excluded. A large proportion of the cancer cases were smokers, which is also not surprising. However, only a minority appeared to have been exposed to immunosuppressive agents. A large case-cohort study currently in progress should help shed light on the relative importance of these exposures in lung cancer risk for SLEpatients.
Authors: Sasha Bernatsky; Rosalind Ramsey-Goldman; Jeremy Labrecque; Lawrence Joseph; Jean-Francois Boivin; Michelle Petri; Asad Zoma; Susan Manzi; Murray B Urowitz; Dafna Gladman; Paul R Fortin; Ellen Ginzler; Edward Yelin; Sang-Cheol Bae; Daniel J Wallace; Steven Edworthy; Soren Jacobsen; Caroline Gordon; Mary Anne Dooley; Christine A Peschken; John G Hanly; Graciela S Alarcón; Ola Nived; Guillermo Ruiz-Irastorza; David Isenberg; Anisur Rahman; Torsten Witte; Cynthia Aranow; Diane L Kamen; Kristjan Steinsson; Anca Askanase; Susan Barr; Lindsey A Criswell; Gunnar Sturfelt; Neha M Patel; Jean-Luc Senécal; Michel Zummer; Janet E Pope; Stephanie Ensworth; Hani El-Gabalawy; Timothy McCarthy; Lene Dreyer; John Sibley; Yvan St Pierre; Ann E Clarke Journal: J Autoimmun Date: 2013-02-12 Impact factor: 7.094
Authors: May Y Choi; Kelsey Flood; Sasha Bernatsky; Rosalind Ramsey-Goldman; Ann E Clarke Journal: Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol Date: 2017-11-10 Impact factor: 4.098