BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The effective control of tuberculosis (TB) requires that people at high risk for the reactivation of TB are identified. Haematological malignancy has been shown to be a risk factor for the development of TB, either through immune suppression by the tumour or through the effects of chemotherapy. This study assessed the hypothesis that solid-organ malignancy is a risk factor for the development of TB. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed to determine the incidence of TB in patients with solid-organ malignancy and in control subjects without malignancy. Risk factors for the development of TB among patients with cancer were also assessed. RESULTS: The study recruited 1809 cases with cancer and 1809 control subjects and followed them for 3 years. The incidence of active TB per 1000 person-years was 3.07 in patients with cancer and 0.77 in controls (P = 0.009). Compared with the control group, patients with cancer had an increased risk of developing TB (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 4.69, 95% CI: 1.52-14.46). Proportional hazards regression analysis showed that the risk factors for development of TB were chronic renal failure (IRR 9.91, 95% CI: 1.17-83.60), old healed TB on CXR (IRR 45.05, 95% CI: 5.74-353.88), and anticancer chemotherapy (IRR 4.32, 95% CI: 1.10-16.89). An interaction between old healed TB and anticancer chemotherapy was observed. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that immune suppression by cancer or by anticancer chemotherapy increases vulnerability to reactivation of TB, especially in cancer patients with old healed TB.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The effective control of tuberculosis (TB) requires that people at high risk for the reactivation of TB are identified. Haematological malignancy has been shown to be a risk factor for the development of TB, either through immune suppression by the tumour or through the effects of chemotherapy. This study assessed the hypothesis that solid-organ malignancy is a risk factor for the development of TB. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed to determine the incidence of TB in patients with solid-organ malignancy and in control subjects without malignancy. Risk factors for the development of TB among patients with cancer were also assessed. RESULTS: The study recruited 1809 cases with cancer and 1809 control subjects and followed them for 3 years. The incidence of active TB per 1000 person-years was 3.07 in patients with cancer and 0.77 in controls (P = 0.009). Compared with the control group, patients with cancer had an increased risk of developing TB (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 4.69, 95% CI: 1.52-14.46). Proportional hazards regression analysis showed that the risk factors for development of TB were chronic renal failure (IRR 9.91, 95% CI: 1.17-83.60), old healed TB on CXR (IRR 45.05, 95% CI: 5.74-353.88), and anticancer chemotherapy (IRR 4.32, 95% CI: 1.10-16.89). An interaction between old healed TB and anticancer chemotherapy was observed. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that immune suppression by cancer or by anticancer chemotherapy increases vulnerability to reactivation of TB, especially in cancerpatients with old healed TB.
Authors: D Bossé; T Ng; C Ahmad; A Alfakeeh; I Alruzug; J Biagi; J Brierley; P Chaudhury; S Cleary; B Colwell; C Cripps; L A Dawson; M Dorreen; E Ferland; P Galiatsatos; S Girard; S Gray; F Halwani; N Kopek; A Mahmud; G Martel; L Robillard; B Samson; M Seal; J Siddiqui; L Sideris; S Snow; M Thirwell; M Vickers; R Goodwin; R Goel; T Hsu; E Tsvetkova; B Ward; T Asmis Journal: Curr Oncol Date: 2016-12-21 Impact factor: 3.677
Authors: Serena Rakha; Clare Bayliss; Frances Sanderson; Richard Smith; Michael Seckl; Philip Savage Journal: BMC Cancer Date: 2010-06-29 Impact factor: 4.430