Chronic plaque psoriasis tied to higher risk of lymphohematologic malignancies: Study

Italy: The link between persistent plaque psoriasis and lymphohematologic malignancies (LHMs) is still debatable. According to a study conducted by Francesco Bellinato and colleagues, the increased risk of LHMs, particularly cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, in patients with psoriasis could be related to exposure to systemic immunosuppressive therapies, comorbidities, and sustained immune activation, particularly in the skin.

The objective of this study was to examine the risk of LHMs in psoriasis patients using the best available data. The findings of this study were published online in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology on 4th August 2021.

There were 12 studies that included data for any unspecified lymphoma and 5 studies that included data for any unspecified hematological malignancy. There were six, twelve, and seven investigations on Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL)/mycosis fungoides (MF), respectively. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis of observational cohort studies was to examine the relationship of psoriasis with various LHMs. On February 28, 2021, a literature search for relevant research was conducted. In performing meta-analyses, the random-effects model was used. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess the risk of bias.