HS y Cancer...

Hidradenitis suppurativa linked to increased cancer risk

July 1, 2020

Key clinical point: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is linked to slightly increased overall cancer risk, as well as increased risk for several specific cancers.

Major finding: Patients with HS had an increased overall cancer risk compared with individuals with no HS (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.15-1.42). Patients with HS had an increased risk for several specific cancers, including Hodgkin lymphoma, oropharyngeal cancer, central nervous system cancer, nonmelanoma skin cancer, prostate cancer, and colorectal cancer.

Study details: A Korean population-based study analyzed 22,468 patients with HS and 179,734 matched control participants. 

Disclosures: The study was funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea, Ministry of Health & Welfare (Republic of Korea). The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Commentary

"Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is best thought of as a systemic inflammatory disease, with effects on health which are more than skin-deep. The study by Jung et al adds to a wealth of literature regarding important medical comorbidities of hidradenitis, including diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory joint disease, depression, and cancer.

In this population-based cohort study including more than 200,000 patients and controls, the overall risk of cancer (adjusted hazard ratio 1.28; 95% CI, 1.15-1.42) and the risk of several specific cancers was significantly increased in those with HS. 

Prior work has demonstrated an increased risk of cancer, particularly lymphoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, in patients with HS. However, the increased risk of colorectal, prostate, and central nervous system cancers demonstrated in this study appear to be novel findings. 

When caring for patients with hidradenitis suppurativa, therefore, it is critical to consider the possibility of important potential medical comorbidities, including cancer. Thorough review of systems and age appropriate cancer screening, among other routine health maintenance, is advised."

Robert G. Micheletti, MD

Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Medicine

Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

References:

Tannenbaum R, Strunk A, Garg A. Association Between Hidradenitis Suppurativa and Lymphoma. JAMA Dermatol. 2019;155(5):624-625.

Shlyankevich J, Chen AJ, Kim GE, Kimball AB. Hidradenitis suppurativa is a systemic disease with substantial comorbidity burden: A chart-verified case-control analysis. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014;71(6):1144-1150.

Citation:

Jung JM et al. JAMA Dermatol. 2020 May 27. doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2020.1422.