The results showed that keloids patients had increased risk of skin cancer (RR = 1.73, 95% CI 1.13–2.63). From Januto December 31, 2010, in patients who had been diagnosed with specific cancer types before their diagnosis of keloids, temporality was corrected, and the patients were excluded. A cohort study was then performed to evaluate the association between keloids and specific cancer types. We then focused on the specific cancers that showed increases in OR. Therefore, this retrospective study used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) to perform the first matched study in an Asian population. To date, no large epidemiological studies have investigated whether patients with keloids tend to develop cancers. Notably, her serum level of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) was abnormally high 8. described the development of bilateral breast cancer in a 72-year-old woman with extensive keloids on the limbs, presternal area, and bilateral breasts. In He et al., an 81-year-old woman developed right breast cancer and eruptive keloids with severe pruritus over a roughly similar time period 7. reported a 66-year-old woman who developed eruptive keloids but was diagnosed with endometrial carcinoma 9. Notably, sporadic case reports show that keloids may be a paraneoplastic phenomenon 7, 8, 9. Since keloids are a prototypic fibrous proliferative and sclerotic disease of the skin, this study investigated whether patients with keloids have a higher than normal tendency to develop cancers, including skin and internal cancers. Furthermore, many cancers develop from sclerotic and fibrous microenvironments, e.g., hepatoma develops from liver cirrhosis, oral cancer develops from submucosal fibrosis, and Majorlin’s cancer develops from burn scars. Uncontrolled fibrocyte proliferation and collagen deposition in keloids are analogous to uncontrolled cell growth and proliferation in cancers. Genetic and environmental factors are often implicated 5, 6.Ĭancer is the main cause of mortality worldwide. The exact etiology of keloids remains unclear but is apparently multifactorial. Dark-skinned individuals are more susceptible to keloids compared to light-skinned individuals 4. They often cause intense itching and pain and usually recur after various treatments. They often invade neighboring normal skin without regression 3. Keloids are triggered by cutaneous injury followed by abnormal wound recovery 2. Keloids are benign dermal fibro-proliferative tumors characterized by overproliferation of fibroblasts and excessive accumulation of collagen 1. Therefore, patients with keloids should undergo regular skin examinations, and females with keloids should regularly undergo abdominal ultrasonography. This study indicates that patients with keloids have a higher than normal risk for several cancer types, especially skin cancers (both genders) and pancreatic cancer (females).

Further stratified analyses also revealed a significantly higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer in female patients with keloids compared to controls (Relative risk = 2.19) after adjustment for known pancreatic cancer risk factors. The relative risk for skin cancer was even higher for males with keloids (Relative risk = 2.16).

Regarding specific cancers, the keloids group, had a significantly higher risk of skin cancer compared to controls (Relative risk = 1.73).

The overall cancer risk was 1.49-fold higher in the keloids group compared to controls. In total, 893 first-time cases of cancer were identified in the 17,401 patients with keloids. The association between keloids and risk of cancer was estimated by logistic regression or Cox proportional hazard regression models after adjustment of covariates. In a matched, population-based study, first 17,401 patients treated for keloids during 1998–2010 with 69,604 controls without keloids at a ratio of 1:4 were evaluated.

As keloids are a prototypic fibroproliferative disease, this study investigated whether patients with keloids have an increased cancer risk. Cancers commonly arise from a fibrotic microenvironment e.g., hepatoma arises from liver cirrhosis, and oral cancers arise from submucosal fibrosis. Keloid is a skin disease characterized by exaggerated scar formation, excessive fibroblast proliferation, and excessive collagen deposition.

Keylord skin