がんとアレルギー

Abstract

During some 50 years of the debate regarding the association of allergic disease with cancer incidence, a growing number of epidemiological studies support the hypothesis that individuals with allergies have a lower risk of developing cancer. There is a particular and most constantly noted inverse correlation with glioma, pancreatic cancer, and childhood leukemia. There are also some studies that have reported that a history of allergic outbreaks reduces the risk of head and neck cancer. On the other hand, a history of atopic dermatitis is suggested to increase the risk of skin cancer, and a history of allergies increases the risk of developing nasopharyngeal carcinoma in endemic areas. In our study, total IgE levels and the positive rate of the RAST test were lower in oral and laryngeal cancer patients than nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients. Thus, the carcinogenic property of allergy-associated factors may be for site-specific events rather than for whole organs of the individual. Mast cells, a key player in allergic diseases, are also frequently detected around cancer cells. They are suggested to contribute to the progression of cancer. This review has shed light on the relevance of allergic diseases to cancer from the immunological viewpoint.