Asthma severity as a contributing factor to cancer incidence: A cohort study

Abstract

Background A putative link between asthma and asthma severity with the occurrence of cancer has been suggested but has not been fully investigated. The objective of this study is to assess the incidence of all types of cancer in a cohort of asthmatic patients. Methods and findings A single center cohort retrospective study was conducted to investigate the role of asthma as a potential risk factor for various cancers. Participants were followed for a period of 9 years from 01/01/2010 to 30/12/2018 and cancer incidence and its determinants were collected in asthmatic patients and controls from the same population source but without any respiratory disease. Overall, 2,027 asthma patients and 1,637 controls were followed up for an average of 9 years. The statistical analysis showed that 2% of asthma patients were diagnosed with various cancers, resulting in an incidence rate of cancer of 383.02 per 100,000 persons per year which is significantly higher than the 139.01 per 100,000 persons per year observed in matched controls (p-value < 0.001). The top four cancers reported among asthmatics were breast, colon, lung and prostate cancer. Lung cancer in asthmatics had the longest diagnosis period with a mean of 36.6 years compared to the shortest with prostate cancer with 16.5 years. Conclusions This study shows that asthma patients are at increased risk of different types of cancers with asthma severity and goiter as the main factors that may increase the risk of developing cancers among asthmatic patients.

In Silico Bioinformatics Followed by Molecular Validation Using Archival FFPE Tissue Biopsies Identifies a Panel of Transcripts Associated with Severe Asthma and Lung Cancer

“…Interestingly, the histopathology of asthma, lung cancer, and asthma with lung cancer suggests that asthma and lung cancer exhibit similar molecular mechanisms and pathways for the progression and/or increased risk of lung cancer in severe asthma. This association was recently shown to be the case using epidemiological data linking the two diseases [ 14 , 40 ].…”

“…A single-center study conducted by us at Rashid Hospital, Dubai, demonstrated that asthmatic patients had a higher risk of developing tumors related to the breast, colon, lung, and prostate. Lung cancer in asthmatics had the longest diagnosis period (36.6 years), while prostate cancer had the shortest (16.5 years) [ 14 ].…”

Association of asthma and lung cancer risk: A pool of cohort studies and Mendelian randomization analysis

“…A previous retrospective cohort study found that asthma patients had a long diagnostic duration for lung cancer, with a mean of 36.6 years. [ 54 ] Moreover, asthma severity considerably increased the likelihood of developing cancer in asthmatic individuals (HR 2.929, 95% CI 1.784–4.907). [ 54 ] In addition, a prospective study of adults with partially controlled asthma had a higher risk of lung cancer (HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.00–1.92) compared with healthy groups, while no increased risk was observed in the well-controlled group (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.54–1.52).…”

“…[ 54 ] Moreover, asthma severity considerably increased the likelihood of developing cancer in asthmatic individuals (HR 2.929, 95% CI 1.784–4.907). [ 54 ] In addition, a prospective study of adults with partially controlled asthma had a higher risk of lung cancer (HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.00–1.92) compared with healthy groups, while no increased risk was observed in the well-controlled group (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.54–1.52). [ 52 ] Uncontrolled asthma is more prone to a decline in Forced Expiratory Volume in the first second (FEV1), similar to the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) phenotype, and a decline in FEV1 significantly increases the risk of lung cancer.…”

Diagnosis of lung cancer by flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy: a descriptive study

“…Unfortunately, most symptomatic patients have advanced disease at the time of diagnosis [20]. In our study, the clinical presentation was dominated by numerous symptoms and clinical signs, with variable incidences, whose were similar to that reported in the literature for: cough (8-75%) [21], dyspnea (3-60%) [22], expectoration (70-78%) [23], hemoptysis (6-35%) [21], weight loss (0-68%) [24], pallor (0-31.6%) [25], cyanosis (22.7%) [26], lack of appetite (57-61%) [20], chest pain (20-49%) [20], fever (0-20%) [23], and wheezing (0-2%) [27]. The comparative analysis of the incidence of the symptoms and clinical signs encountered in the two LC patients' groups showed no statistically significant differences for most of the clinical features encountered.…”