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Cancer

Malignancy Prevalence and Risk Factors in Systemic Sclerosis Patients

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Research conducted by investigators from the University of Debrecen, Hungary, has shed light on the prevalence and risk factors of malignancy in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients. The study, published in the Journal of Biomedicines, revealed that SSc patients have a significantly higher risk of developing cancer, with skin cancer being the most common type. The research also identified certain risk factors, including the presence of anti-RNA Polymerase III and anti-topoisomerase I autoantibodies, female gender, diffuse cutaneous SSc, smoking, and older age.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that out of 541 SSc patients, 85 had malignancy and 96 tumors were registered, with skin cancer being the most common type.
  • The occurrence of anti-RNA Polymerase III was significantly higher in cancerous patients, with an odds ratio (OR) of 4.33 (95% CI 1.08, 15.1).
  • The presence of anti-topoisomerase I (ATA) was also associated with a higher tumor risk, with an OR of 2.34 (95% CI 0.94, 5.84).
  • Women and patients with diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc) were more likely to have malignancy, with an OR of 1.27 (95% CI 0.53, 3.00) for smoking.
  • Cancerous patients were older (p-value = 0.003) and had worse mortality rates compared to non-cancerous patients, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 4.75 (95% CI 2.12, 10.62).
  • Pregnancy did not provide a protective effect against breast cancer.
  • The researchers concluded that malignancy significantly contributes to the increased mortality in SSc patients and recommended dermatological cancer screening for all SSc patients.

Statistics:

  • 541 SSc patients were studied, with 85 having malignancy and 96 tumors registered.
  • Skin cancer was the most common type of cancer, with 24 cases registered.
  • Breast cancer was the second most common, with 14 cases registered.
  • Lung cancer was also a common type, with 14 cases registered.
  • The odds ratio (OR) for the presence of anti-RNA Polymerase III positivity in cancerous patients was 4.33 (95% CI 1.08, 15.1).
  • The odds ratio (OR) for the presence of anti-topoisomerase I (ATA) positivity in cancerous patients was 2.34 (95% CI 0.94, 5.84).
  • The hazard ratio (HR) for cancerous patients compared to non-cancerous patients was 4.75 (95% CI 2.12, 10.62).

Sources:

  • Malignancy in Systemic Sclerosis: A Multicenter Retrospective Study. Biomedicines, 2025, 13(4):993. (Biomedicines - http://www.mdpi.com/journal/biomedicines).
  • NewsRx. Research in the Area of Cancer Reported from University of Debrecen (Malignancy in Systemic Sclerosis: A Multicenter Retrospective Study). Health & Medicine Week. May 16, 2025; p 5568.

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