Background: There are few reports with ambiguous results concerning the relationship between sarcoidosis and malignancies. Aim: To evaluate the incidence and prevalence of malignancies in our sarcoidosis patients. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis in our cohort of 170 sarcoidosis patients. We compared the incidence and prevalence of malignancies in sarcoidosis patients with the incidence and prevalence of malignancies throughout our population (Czech Oncology Register data). Data from years 2005-2007 were analyzed. The analysis only included patients with sarcoidosis diagnosed prior to malignancy, or patients with malignancy discovered simultaneously with sarcoidosis. Results: Out of our sarcoidosis patients, 5 of them were diagnosed with malignant tumors (3 breast cancers; 1 colorectal carcinoma; 1 non-Hodgkin lymphoma). The median age of sarcoidosis patients with a malignancy was 68 years (44 -75). The women:men ratio was 4:1. All patients were non-smokers. Median time from sarcodosis diagnosis to malignancy was 6.5 years (0-14). Calculated prevalence of malignant diseases in patients with sarcoidosis was: 813/100000 (2005), 2739/100000 (2006), and 2941/100000 (2007). In the Czech population, the prevalence of all malignant diseases between 2005-2007 was 3552-3865/100000. In patients with sarcoidosis, calculated incidence of malignancies in the monitored period was: 0 (2005), 2054/100000 (2006), and 588/100000 (2007). The incidence of all malignant diseases in the Czech Republic was 698-738/100000. Conclusion: We do not prove the statistically significant difference in the incidence and prevalence of malignancies between sarcoidosis patients and general population.
Doubkova et al. (Thu,) studied this question.