People with multiple sclerosis (MS) have a lower overall lifetime risk of cancer relative to a general population matched by area, age, sex and habits like tobacco use and alcohol consumption, new research reports, suggesting this lesser risk might be due to the nature of MS itself or to disease modifying therapies used by patients.
The study, “Decreased prevalence of cancer in patients with multiple sclerosis: A case-control study,” was published in the journal PLOS ONE.
The immune system is known to play a large role in both MS and cancer, leading some scientists to suggest that a disease like MS would modify the risk of cancer.
Some argue that the highly active immune system seen in MS patients works to improve cancer surveillance and decrease cancer risk. But others point to the disease-modifying treatments used by MS patients, particularly immunosuppressives, as increasing cancer risk in this population.
Studies have shown conflicting results, with some indicating a higher cancer risk and others a lower risk in MS patients.But most of these studies do not take into account lifestyle factors associated with cancer development, including alcohol and tobacco use.
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