Evaluating cancer risk in a large cohort of 25,008 patients with vitiligo: Insights from a comprehensive cohort population-based study

Background: Current research presents inconsistent results concerning the incidence of various malignancies among patients with vitiligo.

Objectives: To evaluate the risk of cancer in patients with vitiligo.

Methods: A population-based study was conducted using Clalit Health Services database (2000-2023) using a cohort study design. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using multivariate Cox regressions.

Results: The study included 25,008 patients with vitiligo and 245,550 matched controls. The mean (SD) age of patients with vitiligo was 35.96 (22.39) years; 12,679 (50.70%) patients were men. There were 499 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 468-532) and 487 (95% CI: 476-497) incident cancer cases per 100,000 person-years among patients with and without vitiligo, respectively (adjusted HR: 1.00; 95% CI: 0.93-1.07; P = .999). Patients with vitiligo had a reduced risk of melanoma (adjusted HR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.50-0.99; P = .0337), lung cancer (adjusted HR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.57-0.93; P = .007), and bladder cancer (adjusted HR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.52-0.94; P = .0138).

Limitations: The secondary analysis involved multiple comparisons, which could potentially influence the results.

Conclusion: Our study found that cancer incidence rates in patients with vitiligo are not elevated. Consequently, cancer screening for these patients should follow the standard guidelines recommended for the general population.