American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 122, No. 1: 66-74
Copyright © 1985 by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health
research-article |
ALLERGY-RELATED DISEASES AND CANCER: AN INVERSE ASSOCIATION
1Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Medicine Buffalo, NY
2State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Medicine Buffalo, NY
3Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Medicine Buffalo, NY
Reprint requests to Dr. John E. Vena, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo, 2211 Main Street, Buffalo, New York 14214
This paper presents the results of a retrospective study that examines the association of cancer with a history of asthma, hay fever, hives, and other allergy-related diseases. This study is based on interview data collected from 13,665 cancer cases and 4,079 nonneoptestic controls who were admitted to Roswell Park Memorial Institute from 1957 to 1965. Although there is a general tendency for the age- and cigarette smoking-adjusted odds ratios associated with a history of asthma and hay fever to be less than 1, for both males and females, there is stronger evidence for a decreased risk of cancer associated with a history of hives and other allergy-related diseases. Decreased risks associated with a history of hives and other allergies are seen in males for oral cancer, cancers of the lung, larynx, digestive system, urinary system, and cancers of all sites combined and in females for cancers of the digestive system, reproductive system, in particular, cancer of the cervix, and cancers of all sites combined. None of the few odds ratios over 1 associated with a history of any allergy-related condition are statistically significant (
= 0.05). These findings suggest that individuals with allergy-related disorders may be at decreased risk of cancer, although reasons for cautious interpretation of the findings are emphasized. Prospective studies of carefully defined allergic disease cohorts are needed.
allergy; epidemiologic methods; neoplasms
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  A. E. Prizment, A. R. Folsom, J. R. Cerhan, A. Flood, J. A. Ross, and K. E. Anderson History of Allergy and Reduced Incidence of Colorectal Cancer, Iowa Women's Health Study Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., November 1, 2007; 16(11): 2357 - 2362. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. R. Spitz, W. K. Hong, C. I. Amos, X. Wu, M. B. Schabath, Q. Dong, S. Shete, and C. J. Etzel A Risk Model for Prediction of Lung Cancer J Natl Cancer Inst, May 2, 2007; 99(9): 715 - 726. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
O. Landgren, Y. Zhang, S. H. Zahm, P. Inskip, T. Zheng, and D. Baris Risk of Multiple Myeloma following Medication Use and Medical Conditions: A Case-Control Study in Connecticut Women Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., December 1, 2006; 15(12): 2342 - 2347. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Seow, D. P. Ng, S. Choo, P. Eng, W.-T. Poh, T. Ming, and Y.-T. Wang Joint effect of asthma/atopy and an IL-6 gene polymorphism on lung cancer risk among lifetime non-smoking Chinese women Carcinogenesis, June 1, 2006; 27(6): 1240 - 1244. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. C. Turner, Y. Chen, D. Krewski, P. Ghadirian, M. J. Thun, and E. E. Calle TURNER ET AL. REPLY Am. J. Epidemiol., February 15, 2006; 163(4): 395 - 396. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Castaing, J. Youngson, D. Zaridze, N. Szeszenia-Dabrowska, P. Rudnai, J. Lissowska, E. Fabianova, D. Mates, V. Bencko, L. Foretova, et al. Is the Risk of Lung Cancer Reduced among Eczema Patients? Am. J. Epidemiol., September 15, 2005; 162(6): 542 - 547. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Gandini, A. B. Lowenfels, E. M. Jaffee, T. D. Armstrong, and P. Maisonneuve Allergies and the Risk of Pancreatic Cancer: A Meta-analysis with Review of Epidemiology and Biological Mechanisms Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., August 1, 2005; 14(8): 1908 - 1916. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. C. Turner, Y. Chen, D. Krewski, P. Ghadirian, M. J. Thun, and E. E. Calle Cancer Mortality among US Men and Women with Asthma and Hay Fever Am. J. Epidemiol., August 1, 2005; 162(3): 212 - 221. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. B. Schabath, G. L. Delclos, M. M. Martynowicz, A. J. Greisinger, C. Lu, X. Wu, and M. R. Spitz Opposing Effects of Emphysema, Hay Fever, and Select Genetic Variants on Lung Cancer Risk Am. J. Epidemiol., March 1, 2005; 161(5): 412 - 422. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. A. Holly, C. A. Eberle, and P. M. Bracci Prior History of Allergies and Pancreatic Cancer in the San Francisco Bay Area Am. J. Epidemiol., September 1, 2003; 158(5): 432 - 441. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Talbot-Smith, L. Fritschi, M. L. Divitini, D. F. J. Mallon, and M. W. Knuiman Allergy, Atopy, and Cancer: A Prospective Study of the 1981 Busselton Cohort Am. J. Epidemiol., April 1, 2003; 157(7): 606 - 612. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. Boffetta, W. Ye, G. Boman, and O. Nyren Lung cancer risk in a population-based cohort of patients hospitalized for asthma in Sweden Eur. Respir. J., January 1, 2002; 19(1): 127 - 133. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. H. McDuffie, P. Pahwa, J. R. McLaughlin, J. J. Spinelli, S. Fincham, J. A. Dosman, D. Robson, L. F. Skinnider, and N. W. Choi Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Specific Pesticide Exposures in Men: Cross-Canada Study of Pesticides and Health Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., November 1, 2001; 10(11): 1155 - 1163. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 E. Reali, J. W. Greiner, A. Corti, H. J. Gould, F. Bottazzoli, G. Paganelli, J. Schlom, and A. G. Siccardi IgEs Targeted on Tumor Cells: Therapeutic Activity and Potential in the Design of Tumor Vaccines Cancer Res., July 1, 2001; 61(14): 5517 - 5522. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. V Brenner, Z. Wang, R. A Kleinerman, L. Wang, S. Zhang, C. Metayer, K. Chen, S. Lei, H. Cui, and J. H Lubin Previous pulmonary diseases and risk of lung cancer in Gansu Province, China Int. J. Epidemiol., February 1, 2001; 30(1): 118 - 124. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|