Malignancy in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: a Report of Five Cases in a Series of 96 Patients

Abstract

The association of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and malignancy has been reported previously and suggests an increased risk of cancer in this disease. Lymphomas are the most frequent neoplasias reported in these patients and carcinoma of the cervix and breast are also seen. Several factors probably play a role in the aetiology of malignancies associated with SLE including intrinsic disturbances of immunity and concomitant immunosuppressive therapy. We report five solid tumors (one breast carcinoma, one squamous cell carcinoma of the anus, one adenocarcinoma of the rectum, one carcinoma of the cervix and one carcinoma of the gallbladder) among 96 patients with SLE. The most striking finding in this study was the absence of haematological malignancies. The incidence of malignancy in the series, the age of diagnosis of SLE and neoplasia and the time delay between SLE and malignancy diagnosis was similar to other series. We did not find any clinical or immunological feature that predicted the development of neoplasia.

In conclusion, patients with SLE may have the same malignancies as the general population after adjustment for age and sex. There are no predictive indicators for malignancy and immunosuppressive therapy may be a contributing factor.