Analysis of The Relationship between Blood Groups and Lung Cancer Risk Depending on Histology

Abstract

Aim: Blood group antigens are the first genetic markers discovered. ABO blood groups which are expressed on red blood cell membranes are reported to be associated with malignancy risk. The present study aimed to investigate whether there is an association between blood groups and patients with lung cancer. Material and Methods: In our study, ıt was reviewed 587 patients with lung cancer whose ABO/Rh blood types were serologically confirmed. Patients were classified according to blood groups (O, A, B, AB), Rh factor (+, −) and histological types of lung cancer as Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) and Small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC). The adenocarcinoma (AC) and squamous carcinoma (SC) as subtypes of NSCLC were recorded. The relationship of ABO/Rh blood groups with clinical features, such as age, sex and histological subtype were evaluated. Results: There was no significant association between pathological results and blood groups O, A, B and AB. SCLC patients had significantly higher frequency of blood type B Rh (-) when compared to NSCLC patients. Conclusion: We observed an association between risk of lung cancer and ABO blood groups. Although the Rh factor is not effective by itself, patients with the B Rh (-) blood group may have a higher risk than SCLC. Examining the relationship of blood group subtypes with lung cancer cells at the molecular level would be useful to clarify the relationship between lung cancer and blood groups.