If you have psoriasis, you might have an increased risk of cancer, including melanoma, prostate cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, according to a new research presented at the 68th annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD 2010).
The researchers evaluated the incidence of psoriasis and cancers in 37,159 patients and 111,473 controls from a large insurance claims database.
Their analysis found that patients with psoriasis had a 56% higher risk for any type of cancer, 76% higher risk for melanoma, 12% higher risk for breast cancer, 75% higher risk for non-Hodgkin’s disease, 87% higher risk for lymphoma and 22% higher risk for prostate cancer.
The results might not be too surprising since patients with psoriasis are known to have defected immune system and defected immune system is associated with cancer.
However, the results of this study indicated that patients who have psoriasis will need to monitor not only their skin symptoms, but also for their overall health, co morbidities, and well-being.
Presented at the 68th annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD 2010).
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