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Incidence of lung cancer in patients with systemic sclerosis treated with extracorporeal photopheresis
Author(s) -
Topuzoglu Sabriye,
Knobler Robert,
Movadat Oliver,
Petkov Ventzislav,
Foedinger Dagmar,
Just Ulrike,
Pehamberger Hubert,
Jantschitsch Christian
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
photodermatology, photoimmunology and photomedicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.736
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1600-0781
pISSN - 0905-4383
DOI - 10.1111/phpp.12155
Subject(s) - medicine , lung cancer , incidence (geometry) , extracorporeal photopheresis , photopheresis , cancer , lung , gastroenterology , oncology , lymphoma , disease , physics , optics , graft versus host disease
Background Extracorporeal photopheresis ( ECP ) improves skin sclerosis in systemic sclerosis ( SS c) patients. SSc is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. As ECP is supposed to exert immunomodulatory effects, a possible impact of ECP on the incidence of lung cancer in SS c patients was evaluated. Methods Seventy‐one SS c patients treated with ECP at the P hotopheresis U nit of the D epartment of D ermatology at the M edical U niversity of V ienna between 1991 and 2013 were analyzed retrospectively. Results We calculated a standardized incidence ratio ( SIR ) for lung cancer in ECP ‐treated SS c patients of 2.34 [95% confidence interval ( CI ) 1.63–2.49]. This is in accordance with recent meta‐analyses demonstrating a significantly enhanced risk of lung carcinoma in SS c patients. Comparison of the lung cancer risks of these patients with our ECP ‐treated patients revealed that ECP has no influence. Each patient with lung carcinoma had previously been diagnosed with lung involvement of the non‐specific interstitial pneumonitis ( NSIP ) type. Conclusion We confirm that SS c patients are at significantly increased risk for lung cancer. However, ECP does not influence this risk. NSIP may be a risk factor for lung cancer in SS c patients.