Does myasthenia gravis provide protection against cancer?

Acta Neurologica Scandinavica. Supplementum
Jone Furlund OweNils Erik Gilhus

Abstract

Reports have been made of an altered rate of extrathymic malignancies in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG). This study compared the rate of such malignancies in a group of MG patients with an optimal control group. From the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry, we identified 249 dead MG patients (1951-2001) and a control group of 1,245 individuals (five per patient) dead in the same period, matched for sex and year of birth. Patients with MG had a lower occurrence of malignant disease as underlying or contributing cause of death than the controls (8.8% vs 27.2%, P < 0.001). The main difference was found for colorectal cancer, breast cancer and cancer in the upper digestive tract (esophagus and stomach). We report a significantly lower rate of extrathymic malignancies in patients with MG than in controls, and we hypothesize that MG treatment or the immunological mechanisms involved in MG may protect patients with MG from developing an extrathymic malignancy.

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Citations

Mar 31, 2009·Journal of Neurology·Antonietta CitterioVittorio Cosi
Jan 10, 2012·European Journal of Neurology : the Official Journal of the European Federation of Neurological Societies·C-J LiuS-J Wang
Aug 19, 2014·Journal of the Neurological Sciences·I BastaD Lavrnic
Dec 26, 2009·Journal of the Neurological Sciences·Jone Furlund OweNils Erik Gilhus
Mar 2, 2013·European Journal of Neurology : the Official Journal of the European Federation of Neurological Societies·E G PedersenD Gaist
Aug 20, 2016·Journal of the Neurological Sciences·Fidias E Leon-SarmientoCarlos V Rizzo-Sierra
Aug 30, 2018·International Journal of Cancer. Journal International Du Cancer·Emma E McGeeJill Koshiol
Jan 15, 2013·European Journal of Cardio-thoracic Surgery : Official Journal of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery·Pier Luigi FilossoFederico Venuta

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