Hidradenitis suppurativa may be associated with higher risk for cancer

Hidradenitis suppurativa was associated with an increased overall risk for cancer, as well as an increased risk for several specific cancers, according to a study published in JAMA Dermatology.

“Hidradenitis suppurativa is one of the most debilitating dermatologic conditions, and the association between HS and reductions in quality of life and psychosocial well-being has been widely reported,” Joon Min Jung, MD, of the department of dermatology, Asan Medical Center at the University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Korea, and colleagues wrote. “The aberrant immune response and chronic inflammation in HS and genetic and environmental factors associated with the disease may all be factors in the development of cancer.”

In a nationwide, population-based cohort study, 22,468 patients with HS were evaluated against 179,734 control subjects. Participants were matched at a case-control ratio of 1:8 by age, sex, index year and insurance type. The risk for cancer was assessed by multivariable Cox regression models.

After adjusting for comorbidities, the overall risk for cancer was significantly higher in patients with HS compared with control participants (adjusted HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.15-1.42). Additionally, patients with HS were found to be at higher risk for developing Hodgkin lymphoma (adjusted HR, 5.08; 95% CI, 1.21-21.36), oral cavity and pharyngeal cancer (adjusted HR, 3.10; 95% CI, 1.60-6.02), central nervous system cancer (adjusted HR, 2.40; 95% CI, 1.22-4.70), nonmelanoma skin cancer (HR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.12-3.79), prostate cancer (adjusted HR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.30-3.24) and colorectal cancer (adjusted HR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.09-1.93).

“Hidradenitis suppurativa was associated with an increased overall risk of cancer, regardless of patient age, but the risk of specific cancers appears to differ depending on patient age,” Jung and colleagues wrote. “Overall cancer risk showed a tendency to increase with worsening HS severity, reinforcing the possibility of an association between HS and cancer development. ... This study suggests that more intense cancer surveillance may be warranted in patients with HS.”