The link between psoriasis and cancer is stronger than previous studies had reported, according to a recent JAMA Dermatologymeta-analysis. The findings demonstrate that people with the common skin condition have an increased risk of both developing cancer and dying of it. What’s more, the risks were higher for certain types of cancer and for people with severe disease.
Psoriasis takes a toll in many ways. Aside from its thick, scaly inflamed patches of skin, psoriasis also has been linked with a diminished quality of life, depression, cardiovascular disease, and psoriatic arthritis. Although the link with cancer has been recognized for years, the underlying mechanism hasn’t been clear. Among the many factors that have been considered, inflammation comes up frequently. Psoriasis is characterized by chronic inflammation, which has been linked with colon cancer in people with inflammatory bowel diseases. Newer biologic therapies for psoriasis also have been linked with an increased risk of cancer. A 2013 meta-analysis found an increased cancer risk in people with psoriasis, but it included articles that assessed risks only for those with psoriatic arthritis so generalizing the findings to people with psoriasis only is of limited value.