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Can
kidney disease cause cancer? Research says
for some older men, yes
Moderate kidney disease increases an older man's risk of
developing certain cancers, according to an
upcoming study in the Journal of the
American Society Nephrology (JASN).
Given that chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects about a
third of older men, maintaining kidney
function could help prevent cancer in the
general population.
People with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and kidney
transplant recipients are at increased risk
of developing cancer, but little is known
about the cancer risks of individuals with
milder kidney dysfunction.
To investigate, Germaine Wong, MD (Children's Hospital at
Westmead, Australia), and her colleagues
studied data from 3654 Australians aged 49
to 97 years who were followed for an average
of 10 years.
They observed individuals who had decreased kidney function
for an increased risk of developing cancer.
The researchers discovered that men with moderate kidney
dysfunction had a 39% increased risk of
developing cancer over the risk seen in men
with normal kidney function.
Risk increased as kidney function declined, and men with
significant kidney dysfunction had a
three-fold increased risk above normal.
The risk for lung and urinary tract cancers, but not
prostate cancer, was higher among men with
kidney disease.
Some evidence suggests that inflammation caused by CKD may
contribute to the development of cancer.
Other studies have found an association between Vitamin D
deficiency, which is highly prevalent among
people with moderately reduced kidney
function, and increased cancer risk.
Additional research is needed to uncover the underlying
mechanisms involved in the cancer-kidney
disease link found in this study and to
explain why a link was not found in women.
According to Dr. Wong, "Men with CKD should be aware of
cancer prevention and screening for early
detection," she said.
"CKD prevention may be a worthwhile strategy for preventing
and reducing cancer risk in the general
population."
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