Yonsei Med J.  2013 Jul;54(4):895-901. 10.3349/ymj.2013.54.4.895.

Morbidity of Solid Cancer in Behcet's Disease: Analysis of 11 Cases in a Series of 506 Patients

• Na SY
• Shin J
• Lee ES

• KMID: 2158223
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2013.54.4.895

Abstract

PURPOSE
Behcet's disease (BD) is rarely reported to be associated with malignancies in the literature. However, the frequency of cancer in BD patients remains unknown. This study evaluated cancer morbidity in BD patients compared with that in the general population of Korea.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A retrospective chart review was performed on 506 patients visiting our hospital from 1994 to 2011 for BD. We analyzed the standardized morbidity rate (SMR), which is the ratio of observed to expected malignancies. Furthermore, we reviewed cases of solid cancer in BD patients in the literature.
RESULTS
Of the 506 patients with BD, 11 (2.17%) developed cancer. We found a variety of solid cancers without predominance and no hematologic malignancies. The total number of cancers observed was less than expected, which was determined from the statistical data of the National Cancer Information Center of Korea, with an SMR of 0.023 (95% confidence interval, 0.012-0.039).
CONCLUSION
BD may be associated with a lower cancer-related morbidity compared with the general population of Korea.

Keyword

Behcet's disease; malignancy; morbidity; solid cancer

MeSH Terms

Adult
Behcet Syndrome/*complications/drug therapy/epidemiology
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Neoplasms/*epidemiology/etiology/surgery
Republic of Korea/epidemiology
Retrospective Studies

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