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Risk factors for primary central nervous system lymphoma
Author(s) -
Schiff David,
Suman Vera J.,
Yang Ping,
Rocca Walter A.,
O'Neill Brian P.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19980301)82:5<975::aid-cncr25>3.0.co;2-x
Subject(s) - medicine , primary central nervous system lymphoma , referral , tonsillectomy , incidence (geometry) , cancer , family history , disease , lymphoma , pediatrics , surgery , family medicine , physics , optics
BACKGROUND The incidence of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) has increased over time in both immunocompetent and immunodeficient individuals. The reasons for the increase among immunocompetent patients are unclear. METHODS The authors conducted a case‐control study of PCNSL at the Mayo Clinic based on cases from local community and referral practices. Cases were all PCNSL patients without immunodeficiency diagnosed between 1975 and 1994 (n = 109). Two groups of controls were selected from the same referral practice, namely, patients with other cancer (cancer controls; n = 101), and patients with a different neurologic disease (neurologic controls; n = 109) seen at our institution during the same time period. RESULTS PCNSL was significantly associated with lower education when cases were compared with cancer controls but only suggestively when cases were compared with neurologic controls. PCNSL cases were less likely to have had a history of tonsillectomy or oral contraceptive use compared with both control groups. The findings regarding autoimmune disorders and cardiovascular diseases were inconsistent for the two control groups. Neither farming nor prior personal or family history of cancer appeared to be risk factors for PCNSL. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study warrant further investigation of tonsillectomy and oral contraceptives as possible factors for PCNSL. Cancer 1998;82:975‐82. © 1998 American Cancer Society.