A recent meta-analysis published in the journal Cancer Research and Treatment suggests that a wide range of autoimmune diseases are associated with an increased risk for gastric cancer.
Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 52 observational studies identified through a literature search on the PubMed and EMBASE databases.
The findings showed that an overall presence of an autoimmune condition was associated with an increased risk for gastric cancer (pooled relative risk [RR], 1.37; 95% CI, 1.24-1.52). Among individual autoimmune conditions, the strongest associations were observed for dermatomyositis (RR, 3.69; 95% CI, 1.74-7.79), pernicious anaemia (RR, 2.84; 95% CI, 2.30-3.50) and Addison's disease (RR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.26-3.53).
Other autoimmune conditions significantly associated with the risk for gastric cancer included dermatitis herpetiformis (RR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.02-2.97), IgG4-related disease (RR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.00-2.87), primary biliary cirrhosis (RR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.13-2.37), type 1 diabetes mellitus (RR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.20-1.67), systemic lupus erythematosus (RR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.01-1.84) and Graves' disease (RR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.06-1.52). Multiple sclerosis was the only condition associated with significantly decreased risk for gastric cancer (RR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.45-0.92).
The authors commented: "The apparent increases in autoimmune disease and the newly recognized relation to gastric cancer risk have important implications for predicting future cancer incidence and planning strategies for control and prevention."
