BMJ 1996;313:298-299 (3 August)

Letters

Basal cell carcinoma may be linked to haematological malignancy

EDITOR,--Graham Bentham shows that the incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is positively associated with exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation,1 giving insights into the previous observation of a link between non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, malignant melanoma, and squamous cell skin cancer.2 He did not, however, assess any association with basal cell carcinoma, the commonest malignancy in white people.

Exposure to ultraviolet radiation is recognised as a critical factor in the pathogenesis of basal cell carcinoma, presumably partly because of resulting immune suppression.3 It could therefore be hypothesised that an association would exist between basal cell carcinoma and malignancies associated with immune suppression, such as haematological neoplasms.4 Importantly, many patients with basal cell carcinoma develop multiple lesions, and it might be presumed that these subjects represent a group with high susceptibility--that is, one at greatest risk of internal malignancy. We report findings from a case-control study to identify an association between multiple basal cell carcinoma . . . [Full text of this article]


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Relevant Article

Association between incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and solar ultraviolet radiation in England and Wales
Graham Bentham
BMJ 1996 312: 1128-1131. [Abstract] [Full Text]

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