Cancer risk in Korean patients with Behçet's disease: A nationwide population-based study

• Published in: PloS one 2017-12, Vol.12 (12), p.e0190182-e0190182
• Main Authors: Jung, Yoon Suk, Han, Minkyung, Kim, Do Young, Cheon, Jae Hee, Park, Sohee
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ambulatory care; Arthritis; Autoimmune diseases; Biology and Life Sciences; Blood cancer; Bone marrow; Brain; Cancer; Cartilage; Cartilage (articular); Central nervous system; Colorectal cancer; Confidence intervals; Cytokines; Gastroenterology; Health insurance; Health risk assessment; Health risks; Health services utilization; Hematology; Hospitals; Inflammation; Inflammatory bowel disease; Internal medicine; Liver; Lungs; Lymphoma; Malignancy; Medical diagnosis; Medicine; Medicine and Health Sciences; Myelodysplastic syndrome; Oral cavity; Organs; Patients; Pharynx; Population studies; Population-based studies; Prostate; Public health; Rheumatic diseases; Risk; Social Sciences; Studies; Supervision; University colleges; Vein & artery diseases
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190182

Various immune-mediated diseases are associated with increased malignancy risks. However, the relationship between Behçet's disease (BD) and cancer remains unclear. We conducted a nationwide, population-based study to determine the risk of cancer in patients with BD. Using National Health Insurance claims records, we collected data from 2402 patients diagnosed with BD between 2013 and 2014. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of overall and site-specific cancers in patients with BD in comparison with the general population were calculated. The risks of overall cancer (SIR, 3.54; 95% confidence interval, 2.35-5.11 in men and 2.17; 1.58-2.92 in women) and solid cancer (3.10; 1.94-4.69 in men and 2.13; 1.52-2.90 in women) were greater in patients with BD than in the general population. There were significantly increased risks for these solid cancers: colorectal (4.26; 1.38-9.94), liver (4.00; 1.09-10.25), bone/articular cartilage (55.66; 1.41-310.14), prostate (7.05; 1.45-20.60), and brain/central nervous system (28.32; 3.43-102.31) in men; and the lips/oral cavity/pharynx (13.97, 1.69-50.47), liver (12.78; 5.14-26.33), lungs (4.35; 1.18-11.13), other female genital organs (53.57; 1.36-298.49), and eyes (128.26; 3.24-714.59) in women. Patients with BD had a greater risk of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) than the general population did (65.72; 7.96-237.41 in men and 53.86; 11.11-157.40 in women), but not of hematological cancer. Compared to the general population, Korean patients with BD had greater risks of overall cancer, some solid cancers, and MDS, but not of hematological cancer.