Abstract
A total of 5,858 patients with positive epicutaneous tests in Stockholm from 1963 to 1983 were followed for an average of 8.8 years. To examine the development of malignant tumors in the patient population, the patient records were matched with data from the Swedish Cancer Registry. The expected number of malignancies in the patient group was calculated on the basis of age and calendar-specific Swedish prevalence and incidence data with the help of a specially developed computer program. The standard morbidity ratio was used as a measure of the risk of malignant tumors, comparing morbidity among the patients with positive epicutaneous test with that expected in the population. Males had an increased overall risk of cancer, with a relative risk of 1.3 (95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 1.5) after the first positive patch test. Malignant tumors of the larynx, lung, and prostate were significantly increased, with a morbidity ratio from 1.5 to 4. In the females no association was found on the whole, but cancers of the cervix and larynx were significantly increased for the time after the positive patch test. As allergic contact dermatitis is a prototype of the delayed hypersensitivity reaction, these results might indicate that a common failure of the immune system might predispose for both conditions, or be a marker of certain occupational exposure.
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