FaCD Online Syndrome Fact Sheet

Last updated: 25 Oct 2011

Name: Atopic Disease

Synonym: incl. Atopy, Eczema, Hay Fever, Asthma, Allergy

Mode of Inheritance: Multifact

Tumor features

lymphoma, malignant (Non-Hodgkin and/or Hodgkin)
multiple myeloma (Kahler's disease)
prostate cancer
urinary bladder cancer

Tumor features (possible)

brain tumor
lung/bronchial cancer
melanoma, cutaneous

Non-tumor features

asthma
eczema
hay fever

Comment

Atopy (i.e. eczema, hay fever and asthma) is associated with an increased risk to develop prostate cancer[1] and possibly melanoma[2]
Allergy, as a broader category, is associated with increased risk for bladder cancer, lymphoma, myeloma, and prostate cancer[3]. A meta-analysis found no confincing evidence for an increased risk of cancers of the breast or colorectum in patients with asthma, hay fever or any allergy. There was a positive association of atopy (assessed by allergen-specific IgE or skin prick testing) with prostate cancer (RR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.08-1.91)[4]. Asthma might be associated with an increased lung cancer risk[5].In a very large Taiwanese study, the overall cancer risk in patients with atopic disease was not increased[6]. However, within the 20-39 years-old age group, a somewhat higher risk of developing brain cancer was observed.

(genes too many to list)

References

[1] Wang H, Rothenbacher D, Löw M, Stegmaier C, Brenner H, Diepgen TL. Atopic diseases, immunoglobulin E and risk of cancer of the prostate, breast, lung and colorectum. International journal of cancer. Journal international du cancer 2006; 119(3):695-701.
[2] Talbot-Smith A, Fritschi L, Divitini ML, Mallon DF, Knuiman MW. Allergy, atopy, and cancer: a prospective study of the 1981 Busselton cohort. American journal of epidemiology 2003; 157(7):606-12.
[3] Merrill RM, Isakson RT, Beck RE. The association between allergies and cancer: what is currently known?. Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology 2007; 99(2):102-16; quiz 117-9, 150.
[4] Vojtechova P, Martin RM. The association of atopic diseases with breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers: a meta-analysis. Cancer Causes Control. 2009 Apr 2. [Epub ahead of print]
[5] García Sanz M T. Asthma and risk of lung cancer. Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico 2011; 13:728-30.
[6] Hwang CY, Chen YJ, Lin MW, Chen TJ, Chu SY, Chen CC, Lee DD, Chang YT, Wang WJ, Liu HN. Cancer risk in patients with allergic rhinitis, asthma and atopic dermatitis: A nationwide cohort study in Taiwan. Int J Cancer. 2011 Mar 31.[Epub ahead of print]