The Association Between Myasthenia Gravis and Higher Extrathymic Cancer Risk
ABSTRACT Background Myasthenia gravis (MG) is strongly associated with thymic tumors, but whether it is also associated with extrathymic cancers is debatable or whether MG can be considered a paraneoplastic disorder for extrathymic cancers. Methods This is a retrospective analysis of the MG cohort f...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Brain and Behavior |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.70143 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832582630305955840 |
|---|---|
| author | Mohamed Khateb Mai Abu Zant Alaa Bsoul Tomer Karny David Yarnitsky Shahar Shelly |
| author_facet | Mohamed Khateb Mai Abu Zant Alaa Bsoul Tomer Karny David Yarnitsky Shahar Shelly |
| author_sort | Mohamed Khateb |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Background Myasthenia gravis (MG) is strongly associated with thymic tumors, but whether it is also associated with extrathymic cancers is debatable or whether MG can be considered a paraneoplastic disorder for extrathymic cancers. Methods This is a retrospective analysis of the MG cohort for 23 years' time (January 2000 to May 2023), extracting cancer rates with clinical, electrophysiological, and biochemical cancer associations and the effect of chronic medications. Results We identified 436 patients with MG and 3924 controls. The median age at symptom onset was 64 (5–93 years) for males and 54 (1–87 years) for females. MG symptoms at onset were recorded as ocular (60%), strictly bulbar (10%), or generalized (23%). Extrathymic cancer was found in 32% of MG patients. In 3%, thymic and extrathymic cancers co‐occurred. Compared to controls, neurology (12.2%, 159/1308), internal medicine (24.4%, 319/1308), or rheumatology (12%, 157/1308), MG patients had significantly higher rates of extrathymic cancers (p < 0.001). Compared to the rheumatology group, the cancer relative risk of 2.97, CI = 2.5–3.4. Furthermore, the prevalence of extrathymic cancers was significantly increased within the paraneoplastic time window, defined as ±5 years from cancer diagnosis to myasthenia onset (p < 0.01). Conclusion MG was significantly associated with an increased risk of extrathymic cancers, particularly within the paraneoplastic time window. These findings suggest that MG might potentially behave as a paraneoplastic disorder. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1600040db82b4e92b33183d8428b3e0f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2162-3279 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain and Behavior |
| spelling | doaj-art-1600040db82b4e92b33183d8428b3e0f2025-01-29T13:36:40ZengWileyBrain and Behavior2162-32792025-01-01151n/an/a10.1002/brb3.70143The Association Between Myasthenia Gravis and Higher Extrathymic Cancer RiskMohamed Khateb0Mai Abu Zant1Alaa Bsoul2Tomer Karny3David Yarnitsky4Shahar Shelly5Department of Neurology Rambam Medical Center Haifa IsraelDepartment of Neurology Rambam Medical Center Haifa IsraelDepartment of Neurology Rambam Medical Center Haifa IsraelDepartment of Data Analysis and Information Systems Rambam Medical Center Haifa IsraelDepartment of Neurology Rambam Medical Center Haifa IsraelDepartment of Neurology Rambam Medical Center Haifa IsraelABSTRACT Background Myasthenia gravis (MG) is strongly associated with thymic tumors, but whether it is also associated with extrathymic cancers is debatable or whether MG can be considered a paraneoplastic disorder for extrathymic cancers. Methods This is a retrospective analysis of the MG cohort for 23 years' time (January 2000 to May 2023), extracting cancer rates with clinical, electrophysiological, and biochemical cancer associations and the effect of chronic medications. Results We identified 436 patients with MG and 3924 controls. The median age at symptom onset was 64 (5–93 years) for males and 54 (1–87 years) for females. MG symptoms at onset were recorded as ocular (60%), strictly bulbar (10%), or generalized (23%). Extrathymic cancer was found in 32% of MG patients. In 3%, thymic and extrathymic cancers co‐occurred. Compared to controls, neurology (12.2%, 159/1308), internal medicine (24.4%, 319/1308), or rheumatology (12%, 157/1308), MG patients had significantly higher rates of extrathymic cancers (p < 0.001). Compared to the rheumatology group, the cancer relative risk of 2.97, CI = 2.5–3.4. Furthermore, the prevalence of extrathymic cancers was significantly increased within the paraneoplastic time window, defined as ±5 years from cancer diagnosis to myasthenia onset (p < 0.01). Conclusion MG was significantly associated with an increased risk of extrathymic cancers, particularly within the paraneoplastic time window. These findings suggest that MG might potentially behave as a paraneoplastic disorder.https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.70143cancerepidemiologymyasthenia gravisparaneoplasticseropositive |
| spellingShingle | Mohamed Khateb Mai Abu Zant Alaa Bsoul Tomer Karny David Yarnitsky Shahar Shelly The Association Between Myasthenia Gravis and Higher Extrathymic Cancer Risk Brain and Behavior cancer epidemiology myasthenia gravis paraneoplastic seropositive |
| title | The Association Between Myasthenia Gravis and Higher Extrathymic Cancer Risk |
| title_full | The Association Between Myasthenia Gravis and Higher Extrathymic Cancer Risk |
| title_fullStr | The Association Between Myasthenia Gravis and Higher Extrathymic Cancer Risk |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Association Between Myasthenia Gravis and Higher Extrathymic Cancer Risk |
| title_short | The Association Between Myasthenia Gravis and Higher Extrathymic Cancer Risk |
| title_sort | association between myasthenia gravis and higher extrathymic cancer risk |
| topic | cancer epidemiology myasthenia gravis paraneoplastic seropositive |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.70143 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mohamedkhateb theassociationbetweenmyastheniagravisandhigherextrathymiccancerrisk AT maiabuzant theassociationbetweenmyastheniagravisandhigherextrathymiccancerrisk AT alaabsoul theassociationbetweenmyastheniagravisandhigherextrathymiccancerrisk AT tomerkarny theassociationbetweenmyastheniagravisandhigherextrathymiccancerrisk AT davidyarnitsky theassociationbetweenmyastheniagravisandhigherextrathymiccancerrisk AT shaharshelly theassociationbetweenmyastheniagravisandhigherextrathymiccancerrisk AT mohamedkhateb associationbetweenmyastheniagravisandhigherextrathymiccancerrisk AT maiabuzant associationbetweenmyastheniagravisandhigherextrathymiccancerrisk AT alaabsoul associationbetweenmyastheniagravisandhigherextrathymiccancerrisk AT tomerkarny associationbetweenmyastheniagravisandhigherextrathymiccancerrisk AT davidyarnitsky associationbetweenmyastheniagravisandhigherextrathymiccancerrisk AT shaharshelly associationbetweenmyastheniagravisandhigherextrathymiccancerrisk |