Autoimmune Diseases Linked to Digestive System Cancers

FRIDAY, Aug. 15, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Autoimmune diseases are associated with certain digestive system cancers, according to a review published in the September issue of eClinicalMedicine.

Julia Reizner, from the University of Augsburg in Germany, and colleagues conducted a systematic review to examine the associations between celiac disease (CD), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), multiple sclerosis (MS), and type 1 diabetes (T1D) and different digestive system cancers. The primary meta-analytic approach used was inverse-variance weighted random-effects models.

A total of 237 estimates from 47 studies covering more than 1.5 million cases of any ethnicity were included in the study. The researchers identified positive associations for CD, SLE, and T1D with pancreatic, esophageal, colon, liver, and hepatobiliary cancers. There was also a positive association seen for T1D with stomach and colorectal cancers. The strongest bias-corrected association was found between CD and small intestine cancer (relative risk, 4.19). Inverse associations were seen for MS with pancreatic, esophageal, rectal, and colorectal cancers.

“Our results underline the need for targeted monitoring of patients with autoimmune diseases and the development of personalized cancer prevention programs,” Reizner said in a statement. “The study thus provides important impetus for clinical practice and the development of preventive strategies.”

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