Association of lung cancer with skin diseases: A nationwide cohort study based on the “lung governing skin and hair” theory

Abstract

IntroductionThis population-based cohort study based on the “lung governing skin and hair” theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to investigate the association of lung cancer with non-eczema skin and subcutaneous diseases. MethodsBy using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, we identified 13,034 patients who had been newly diagnosed with non-eczema skin and subcutaneous diseases from 2000 to 2010. 26,068 age-matched patients without non-eczema skin and subcutaneous diseases were randomly selected as the comparison cohort. ResultsThe mean follow-up of the non-eczema skin and subcutaneous disease cohort was 7.66 years and control cohort was 7.53 years, respectively. The cumulative incidence of lung cancer was higher in the non-eczema skin and subcutaneous disease cohort than that in the control cohort by 2.89% at the end of follow-up. The non-eczema skin and subcutaneous disease cohort had a higher lung cancer incidence than the control cohort. The non-eczema skin and subcutaneous disease patients with or without comorbidity were associated with lung cancer. ConclusionsThese results suggest that non-eczematous skin and subcutaneous diseases is associated with lung cancer, thus supporting the lung governing skin and hair theory of TCM.