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I was wondering if anyone has come across any research linking MS and cancer or perhaps any of the MS drugs and cancer, (even more specifically breast cancer)? I have been hesitant to post this but need to research this now as I was very recently dx'd with breast cancer. Fortunately it was caught very, very early. I just want to see if there is any possible link or if it is just very bad luck. Thank you for your help.
Lori

Neil Cavuto, from Fox News, had cancer some years ago before being diagnosed with MS.

I do not know of any studies that connects the two diseases. However, I have never gone looking for more trouble, so there may be some research out there that supports a link of which I am unaware.

Sorry for your double whammy and glad that you caught it early.

gwa

I eliminated my post

It's not quite definitive I guess, but this study found a slightly increased incidence of breat cancer in women with MS. I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis and I hope you get well fast.



Cancer risk among patients with multiple sclerosis: a population-based register study.

Int J Cancer. 2006 Feb 15;118(4):979-84.
Nielsen NM, Rostgaard K, Rasmussen S, Koch-Henriksen N, Storm HH, Melbye M, Hjalgrim H.
Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark. NMN@ssi.dk

Cancer occurrence in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) has been little studied, but associations with brain tumours, breast cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma have been suggested. We took advantage of population-based registers of MS and cancer to assess the risk of cancer following diagnosis of MS. Patients registered in the Danish Multiple Sclerosis Register were linked with the Danish Cancer Register to obtain information on cancer occurrence. The ratio of the observed to the number of expected cancers based on population-based incidence rates, i.e., the standardised incidence ratio (SIR), served as measure of the relative cancer risk. A database comprising all Danish women born after April 1, 1935, with information on all live-born children, was used in the analyses of breast cancer to adjust for reproductive factors.

Overall 1,037 cancers were observed in 11,817 MS patients during 153,875 person-years of follow-up vs. an expected number of 1,098 (SIR = 0.94 [95% confidence interval CI: (0.89-1.00)].

- The risk of brain tumours and Hodgkin lymphoma was not increased.

- A 16% overall reduced cancer risk in men with MS was explained by reduced numbers of cancers of the digestive, respiratory and genital organs.

- Though the overall cancer risk was not increased [SIR = 1.01(0.94-1.09), n = 676], female MS patients had an increased risk of breast cancer [SIR = 1.21 (1.05-1.39), n = 193].

Adjusting for parity and age at first child delivery did not change this risk estimate materially. In general MS patients are not at increased risk of cancer. Women with MS, however, seem to have a small excess risk of breast cancer, which cannot be attributed to reduced parity or delayed first child birth.

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Lori,

Sorry to hear about your breast cancer dx. This is one area where huge advances in treatments have been made in the last decade. And I imagine more are to come.

I haven't come across any research on MS and cancer - although I did read that skin cancer rates are lower in MS patients.

Best wishes. In three weeks or so I will be near Naples so will wave to you from the plane.

Best wishes

Ian

Lori,

I am interested in autoimmune diseases but I actually work in cancer research because I think there are greater possibilities to tackle autoimmune diseases via research already being done in cancer.
With regards to breast cancer, BRCA1 mutations are seen frequently. BRCA1 is believed to be involved in X chromosome inactivation (Females have two X chromosomes but really only need one active, so they inactivate one). My theory is that, in breast cancer, a cell has lost its ability to make functional BRCA1 and so there has arisen a loss of inactivation of the X, or portions of it. In effect, now both X chromosomes have active copies of some genes leading to overexpression and the consequences of that. Because these cells can replicate still, the cancer grows.
With regards to MS and some other autoimmune diseases, these might also involve loss of control of X-linked genes, possibly by loss of BRCA1 function or some other means, such as chromosome breaks. I discussed a scenario previously and mentioned specific genes in the general forum topic 'polyamines'. In the problem cells in MS, they are possibly more mature and not very inclined to replicate but are more inclined to go into apoptosis when they lose control.
Anyway, to cut to the chase, I think in many cases of MS and in most cases of breast cancer, loss of control of some X-linked genes is the start of the problem, followed by overexpression of those genes (because genes on both X chromosomes are now active), or loss of epigenetic control. The consequences of the problem, and the symptoms seen, then depend on the tissue type in which the problem occurs and the replication-competency of the affected cell.
I have heard that some people with an autoimmune disease and cancer actually have a reduction in their autoimmune symptoms when under chemotherapy for the cancer. Maybe it's relative or maybe there are some side-benefits of the cancer drugs. There are better drugs coming for anti-cancer treatment. That is my job and if I can get it to carryover into drugs for autoimmune diseases, I'll be thrilled.

Wesley

Bromley,

Hope you enjoy Florida! We'll try to keep the hurricanes away for you.

Wesley

Lori-- glad you caught it early. Wishing you an uneventful, speedy and complete recovery.

oh Lori, I'm so sorry to hear this. Fortunately you caught it early. You'll be cancer free in no time.

Thank you to everone for both your kind words and also your responses on where to to look for research on the subject. I will definitely follow through. In the meantime, if you come across anything else please let me know as I would greatly appreciate any additional information.

Thanks so much!
Lori

I eliminated my post