Cancer Risk and Multiple Sclerosis: Evidence From a Large Italian Cohort

In conclusion, our results suggest that some MS subpopulations may be more susceptible to the risk of develop cancer. The relationship between MS and risk of cancer is complex- Although the immune-mediated pathogenesis of MS enhancing the immune surveillance due to activation of inflammatory cells (23), may “protect” from carcinogenesis, on the other hand, current studies indicate that MS is largely a heterogeneous disease process, which involves a dysregulation of both innate and adaptive immune-mediated inflammatory mechanisms that ultimately contribute to demyelination and neurodegeneration (50). Thus, we could speculate that the dysregulation of the immune system typically responsible for the pathogenesis of MS disease, and the immunological consequences of using drugs with different mechanisms of action may enhance cancer risk. Furthermore, the finding of higher cancers risk in patients who switched at least twice may have significant implications on MS management, influencing treatment decision making process. Indeed, our results raised the question of long-term toxicity of MS drugs, highlighting the importance of taking into account the consequences of a succession exposure to many different molecules, in particular with the development of new MS therapies more and more powerful. More prospective researches are needed via epidemiology and experimental study designs to confirm these data. Ethics Statement This study was carried out in accordance with...
Source: Frontiers in Neurology - Category: Neurology Source Type: research