Could getting treated for your autoimmune disease also protect you from cancer?
If you live with an autoimmune condition like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or Sjogren's, a large new study has something meaningful to share: the chronic inflammation driving our conditions also raises cancer risk by about 32% compared to the general population.
Published in the journal Cancers, this first-ever nationwide Italian study tracked more than 356,022 patients (54,896 with autoimmune conditions) over five years and found the strongest links with lung cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, bladder cancer, and melanoma. The elevated cancer risk is highest in the first year after diagnosis at 83%, then steadily declines to 20% at year 5. This suggests that chronic inflammation, rather than treatment, is the cause of the increased risk.
The study also divided the autoimmune disease group into two subcategories, those with diffuse diseases of the connective tissue (DDCT) and those with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The DDCT group includes patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, Sjogren's disease, dermatomyositis, and polymyositis. Patients with DDCT face a higher overall risk of 53% above the general population, while patients with RA have a 20% increased risk.
The strongest cancer associations were with leukemia and lymphoma—autoimmune disease patients have nearly twice the risk of developing these cancers, and DDCT patients have nearly 3 times the risk. For women specifically, the study found that autoimmune disease patients have nearly 4 times higher risk of developing Hodgkin's lymphoma, 2 times higher risk of developing bladder cancer, and 59% higher risk of developing ovarian cancer. Women with RA were 62% more likely to develop ovarian cancer, and women with DDCT were more than 5 times more likely to develop Hodgkin's lymphoma.
The study also found that as patients begin anti-inflammatory treatment, the elevated cancer risk begins to come down. Scientists believe that getting inflammation under control may offer a protective effect, gradually reversing some of the damage that unchecked inflammation causes at the cellular level. This is a compelling reason why early and consistent autoimmune treatment matters, not just for how we feel day to day, but for our long-term health.
Our new surveys are also collecting information on cancer diagnoses. If you want to contribute your data to research findings like these, please head over to our surveys page and take our new Diagnosis surveys. Please also invite family and friends to join the registry. The more data we have, the stronger our evidence will be.
To support the Autoimmune Registry, please share our information with others who have autoimmune diseases. Donations are also greatly appreciated!
