Increased risk of lymphoid and nonlymphoid malignancies in patients with lymphomatoid papulosis

• Published in: Cancer Vol. 86; no. 7; pp. 1240 - 1245
• Main Authors: Wang, Helen H., Myers, Timothy, Lach, Lori J., Hsieh, Chung‐cheng, Kadin, Marshall E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.10.1999; Wiley-Liss
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; cancer risk; Child; Dermatology; Female; Humans; lymphoid malignancy; Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic - complications; Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic - genetics; Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic - mortality; lymphomatoid papulosis; Lymphomatoid Papulosis - complications; Lymphomatoid Papulosis - genetics; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mycosis Fungoides - complications; Mycosis Fungoides - genetics; Mycosis Fungoides - mortality; nonlymphoid malignancy; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Skin; Skin involvement in other diseases. Miscellaneous. General aspects; Skin Neoplasms - complications; Skin Neoplasms - genetics; Skin Neoplasms - mortality; Human; Skin disease; Mycosis fungoides; Malignant hemopathy; Hemopathy; Malignant tumor; Non Hodgkin lymphoma; Peripheral T cell lymphoma; Lymphomatoid papulosis; Cutaneous hematologic disease; Lymphoproliferative syndrome; Risk factor; Ki1 positive large cell anaplastic lymphoma; Complication
• ISSN: 0008-543X; 1097-0142
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0142(19991001)86:7<1240::AID-CNCR19>3.0.CO;2-X

BACKGROUND Lymphomatoid papulosis (LyP) is a rare skin disease with malignant potential. The long term outcomes of patients with this disease have not been adequately assessed. METHODS Fifty‐seven patients with biopsy‐proven LyP and 67 controls matched for age, gender, and race were followed prospectively from 1988 to 1996. Reported malignancies were confirmed by surgical pathology and/or autopsy reports. A search through the National Death Index through December 1995 was conducted to identify all deaths, and death certificates were procured. Expected numbers of malignancies based on SEER data were calculated for both the patient and the control groups. RESULTS Six LyP patients (10.5%) and 1 control (1.5%) reported nonlymphoid malignancies (P = 0.047). Two patients and no controls developed lymphoid malignancies (mycosis fungoides and CD30+ cutaneous lymphoma). The expected numbers of nonlymphoid and lymphoid malignancies in the LyP patient group, based on the SEER data, were 1.93 and 0.15, respectively, yielding a relative risk (with 95% confidence interval) of 3.11 (1.26–6.47) for nonlymphoid malignancies and 13.33 (2.24–44.05) for malignant lymphomas in the LyP patients. There was no significant difference between the observed and expected numbers of malignancies in the control group. Four LyP patients died during the follow‐up, three due to malignancies; and one control died of a gunshot wound to the head (suicide). The difference in overall survival between the LyP patients and the controls was not statistically significant (P = 0.12). CONCLUSIONS Patients with LyP appear to have an increased risk of both lymphoid and nonlymphoid malignancies. The increased risk of nonlymphoid as well as lymphoid malignancies may suggest a basic underlying genetic defect leading to the development of malignancy in LyP patients. Cancer 1999;86:1240–5. © 1999 American Cancer Society. Patients with lymphomatoid papulosis were found to have an increased risk for both lymphoid and nonlymphoid malignancies.