Cancer and MS...some interesting information!

[Rena705]

Hey people!  Hope nobody is having a hard time today...it's sunny and summer is here!  I can here the fishee's calling my name but I can't seem to pinpoint where they are!  hehe  Anyway, I thought this article may be of interest to people here!  Also, DON'T FORGET YOUR SUNSCREEN!!!  Some meds can cause you to be VERY sensitive to the sun...be careful please!

Cancer risk in multiple sclerosis: findings from British Columbia, Canada  
  
summary: The founding of a network of MS registries in the British Columbia province of Canada in the 1980s was far sighted, and has enabled a host of unprecedently high quality epidemiological research to be performed.

This study looks at the risk of the development of cancer in 6,820 patients with MS and compares that risk to the population risk of cancer, matched for sex, age, site of cancer and year of cancer diagnosis. This careful study shows a welcome positive finding that the risk of all cancers, and colorectal cancer in particular was reduced in people with MS. This was the same in relapsing remitting and progressive MS. It did however show that the tumour size at diagnosis was greater in those with MS.

The cause of the reduction in cancer risk in people with MS, while welcome, cannot be ascertained from this study. The authors do suggest by considering all the alternative hypotheses, that some biological factor, intrinsic to people with MS may be implicated. A more potent immune system detecting and destroying nascent cancer cells is one possible hypothesis advocated. The authors also suggest that the fact that cancers are generally larger in people with MS at the time of diagnosis suggests that appropriate investigations for cancer symptoms may be delayed in people with MS, perhaps as a consequence of the other symptoms that they experience clouding warning signs for cancer. The importance of investigating new symptoms, and ensuring people with MS are able to attend cancer screening programmes was correctly emphasised.

Hugs,
Rena

[shoshin]

Some interesting comments from the MS Research Blog:

"This study is important for several respects. MS differs from other systemic autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, that is associated with a higher risk of cancer than the general population. The thinking is that inflammation is one of the drivers of cancer development, by its effect on DNA. More importantly is the implications this data has for pharmocovigilance, i.e. monitroing whether or not DMTs are associated with higher risks of cancer. A lot of the studies compare MSers to the general population; this is clearly not the correct comparator. We would have to do formal studies to assess cancer risk from the newer DMTs; the studies will have to compared exposed MSers with a control group of non-exposed MSers, for example those on IFNbeta or GA or not on any treatment."

http://multiple-sclerosis-research.blogspot.com/2012/06/research-lower-risk-of-cancer-in-ms.html

sho

[HVAC]

I guess I am just lucky I had genetics for both. In fact my Doctors blaming all my cancer symptoms on MS almost cost me my life. Bottom line still be aware of cancer. I had more Cancer screenings in the last few years than most women but they did not check the ovaries. If I had not had Ms I think they would have found the cancer sooner. Three other women in my MS support group have breast cancer.

[TLC_31]

The news release from the University of British Columbia, which did the study:

http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/2012/06/21/multiple-sclerosis-patients-have-lower-risk-of-cancer-ubc-vch-research/

Here is the full text from the medical journal Brain:

http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/06/19/brain.aws148.full

[sllowe]

Hi Rena girl!

Interesting indeed!

I love the sun! Ugh - can't imagine life w/out it.

If you find where the fish are, and what the heck they want to eat, hollar! No luck for us these days (though we have only been on the local lakes, lol). Even the pickerel nibble, and laugh and run by.

(((Hugs)))
shell