Acromegaly and gastrointestinal cancer

Article Abstract:

Acromegaly is a rare condition in which bones of the extremities, as well as several bones of the head, begin to grow in middle age. The condition most often results from a tumor of the pituitary gland which begins to secrete copious amounts of growth hormone. Patients with acromegaly often suffer drowsiness and moodiness as well. Some studies have observed an increase in the rate of certain cancers among patients with acromegaly. To evaluate the relation between acromegaly and cancer, a follow-up study was conducted of 1,041 patients with acromegaly. Because the patients were identified using computerized records of the Veterans Administration (VA), the patient population in this study consisted entirely of men. A total of 116 cancers were recorded over an average of 8.3 years of follow-up. By comparing a representative sample of VA patients without acromegaly, it was found that 72 cancers would be expected in a group this size during the follow-up period. Twenty-seven cancers of the digestive system were identified among the patients with acromegaly, exactly twice the expected number. The most common cancer of the digestive system was colon cancer; 13 cases of colon cancer had occurred, in contrast with 4.22 expected cases. One case of cancer of the small intestine was also observed; this rare cancer might be expected to occur once in a group six times as large. Similarly, the rates of stomach cancer and cancer of the esophagus in patients with acromegaly were larger than would be expected simply on the basis of chance. Curiously, while smoking and drinking are associated with increased rates of esophageal cancer, the rates of smoking and drinking among the patients with acromegaly were actually less than for VA patients in general. The observations made in this study indicate that acromegaly is associated with an increase in risk of cancers of the digestive system. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Complications and side effects, Gastrointestinal diseases, Acromegaly

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Primary liver cancer, other malignancies, and mortality risks following porphyria: a cohort study in Denmark and Sweden

Article Abstract:

Research on Swedish and Danish subjects indicate that porphyria elevates a patient's risk of developing cancer and its subsequent mortality rate. Porphyria was associated with a pronounced excess of primary liver cancer and a higher risk of mortality from cirrhosis of the liver. Results also suggest a link between porphyria and a moderate increase of lung cancer, but further research on this finding is needed.

United States, Denmark, Sweden, Research, Models, Lung cancer, Epidemiological research, Cross sectional studies, Liver cancer, Porphyria

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