Cancer and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Alexandra Ladouceur; Basile Tessier-Cloutier; Ann E Clarke; Rosalind Ramsey-Goldman; Caroline Gordon; James E Hansen; Sasha Bernatsky

doi:10.1016/j.rdc.2020.05.005

Cancer and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2020 Aug;46(3):533-550. doi: 10.1016/j.rdc.2020.05.005. Epub 2020 Jun 10.

Authors

Alexandra Ladouceur¹, Basile Tessier-Cloutier², Ann E Clarke³, Rosalind Ramsey-Goldman⁴, Caroline Gordon⁵, James E Hansen⁶, Sasha Bernatsky⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, McGill University, 1001 Decarie Boulevard, Suite D05-2212, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1, Canada.
² Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Room G227 - 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 2B5, Canada.
³ Division of Rheumatology, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive Northwest, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada.
⁴ Division of Rheumatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, McGaw Pavilion, 240 East Huron Street, Suite M-300, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
⁵ Rheumatology Research Group, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
⁶ Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
⁷ Department of Medicine, McGill University, 1001 Decarie Boulevard, Suite D05-2212, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1, Canada; Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre, 5252 de Maisonneuve West, 3rd Floor, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3S5, Canada. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 32631602
DOI: 10.1016/j.rdc.2020.05.005

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus is associated with a small overall increased cancer risk compared with the general population. This risk includes a 4-fold increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but a decreased risk of other cancers (such as breast cancer). The pathophysiology underlying the increased risk of hematologic cancer is not fully understood, but many potential mechanisms have been proposed, including dysfunction of the tumor necrosis factor and other pathways. A decreased risk of breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancer might be driven by hormonal factors or lupus-related antibodies, but these links have not been proved.

Keywords: Cancer; Epidemiology; Malignancy; Systemic lupus erythematosus.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Humans
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* / complications
Neoplasms* / epidemiology
Neoplasms* / etiology
Neoplasms* / physiopathology