MS is a chronic and debilitating autoimmune disease, characterized by an attack on myelin – the white, fatty substance that insulates and protects nerves – by the immune system. Although this study does not demonstrate a cause and effect relationship, it does suggest that MS could also be associated with higher risk of bladder, brain and cervical cancers.
The lead author, Emmanuelle Leray, researcher at the University of Rennes, recalls that “MS patients undergo an increased number of tests to monitor the progression of the disease, which also increases the probability of detecting other diseases. . This is how this association between certain types of cancer and MS could emerge.”
An increase in the risk of cancer which nevertheless remains modest
The study analyzes health data from 140,649 participants with MS matched for age, sex and place of residence to 562,596 controls without MS. All participants were cancer-free 3 years before inclusion and were followed for approximately 8 years. During follow-up, 8,368 participants with MS and 31,796 controls developed cancer. The analysis reveals:
- an incidence of 799 cancers per 100,000 person-years among people with MS and 736 cancers per 100,000 person-years among controls;
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participants with MS have a 6% increased risk of developing cancer (all types),
- regardless of their age, gender and place of residence;
- this cancer risk appears higher in people with MS under the age of 55 and lower in people aged 65 – vs. controls;
- participants with MS have a 71% increased risk of bladder cancer, 68% of brain cancer, and 24% of cervical cancer;
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however, participants with MS also had a 20% lower risk of prostate cancer, 10% lower risk of colorectal cancer, and 9% lower risk of breast cancer.
“Although our study shows a higher risk of brain cancer, this may be due in part to earlier detection in people with MS because they have regular brain scans that detect these cancers earlier, before even the appearance of the first symptoms »
The author adds:
- “frequent urinary infections in people with MS and the use of immunosuppressive medications may contribute to the higher risk of bladder and cervical cancer;
- The lower risk of colorectal and breast cancer may be due in part to fewer people with MS getting screened for cancer at older ages.”
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