Risk of Head and Neck Cancer in Patients with Psoriasis: A Nationwide Population-based Study

Sep 21, 2026

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Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory skin disease linked with multiple medical comorbidities. Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, a cross-sectional analysis of 3,869,264 adults followed from 2009 to 2020 evaluated incidence of head and neck cancers in individuals with and without psoriasis. After adjustment for age, sex, BMI, socioeconomic factors, smoking, alcohol, exercise, diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidaemia, psoriasis was associated with a higher overall risk (HR 1.36) and elevated risks for nasopharyngeal and salivary gland cancers.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

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Materials and Methods

Data source

Significance

1/7 ORIGINAL REPORT Risk of Head and Neck Cancer in Patients with Psoriasis: A Nationwide Population-based Study Gene HUH1, Dongjun KIM1, Kyu-na LEE2, Kyungdo HAN3 and Jung-Hae CHO1 1Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, St Vincent’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 2Department of Biomedicine & Health Science, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, and 3Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, Soongsil University, Seoul, Republic of Korea An association between psoriasis and cancer risk has been suggested in prior studies, but few have focused on head and neck cancers. Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, the relevance between psoriasis and head and neck cancer risks was investigated in a cross-sectional study of 3,869,264 individuals over 20 years of age, who received general health examination in 2009 and were followed until 2020. Head and neck cancer incidence rates were compared between individuals with and without psoriasis, and contributing factors were analysed. The head and neck cancer risk was significantly increased in the psoriasis group compared with the non-psoriasis group (hazard ratio [HR] 1.36; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07–1.74; p = 0.01) after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, income, smoking, alcohol, exercise, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and dyslipidaemia. The risk was especially elevated for nasopharyngeal (HR 2.04; 95% CI 1.12–3.70; p = 0.02) and salivary gland cancer (HR 1.96; 95% CI 1.08–3.56; p = 0.03) . Alcohol consumption significantly influenced the risk, particularly for oropharyngeal and oral cavity cancer. Our study provides insights into the potential risks of head and neck cancer in patients with psoriasis, which could aid in refining patient management strategies. Key words: psoriasis; head and neck cancer; nasopharyngeal cancer; salivary gland cancer. Submitted Aug 26, 2023. Accepted after review Feb 8, 2024 Published May 17, 2024. DOI: 10.2340/actadv.v104.18487 Acta Derm Venereol 2024; 104: adv18487 . Corr: Kyungdo Han, PhD, Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, Soongsil University, 369, Sangdo-ro, Dongjak-gu, Seoul 06978, Republic of Korea and Jung-Hae Cho, MD, PhD, Department of OtolaryngologyHead Neck Surgery, St Vincent’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Suwon, 93, Jungbu-daero, Paldal-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 16247, Republic of Korea. E-mail: [hkd917@naver.com](hkd917@naver.com); [jhchomd@catholic.ac.kr](jhchomd@catholic.ac.kr) Pstraasisaffea cs 6h0ronmiicllimunpeopel-mee aredshinwsoldrd(1e)r It is a persistent inflammatory disease associated with psychiatric, cardiovascular and hepatic diseases, and is also known to be related to systemic medical conditions such as obesity, diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome (2) . Morbidities associated with psoriasis may be attributed to diverse factors, including genetic SIGNIFICANCE Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory skin disease associated with various medical conditions. Utilizing a dataset from the Korean National Health Insurance Service, our research revealed an increased risk of developing head and neck cancer in patients with psoriasis compared to those without psoriasis, while the risk was especially elevated for nasopharyngeal and salivary gland cancers. These findings provide insight into the potential risks of head and neck cancer in patients with psoriasis, which could be beneficial for refining patient management strategies. predispositions, inflammatory pathogenesis and common risk factors (3, 4) . Recent research has also suggested a potential association between psoriasis and an elevated risk of developing certain types of cancers, with chronic inflammation often cited as a potential contributing factor (5). Furthermore, the utilization of immunomodulatory therapy and a higher prevalence of known cancer risk factors such as smoking and excessive a

FAQs

What question does the study investigate about psoriasis and cancer risk?

It investigates whether patients with psoriasis have a higher risk of developing head and neck cancers than people without psoriasis, with attention to specific subsites.

Which data source and study design are used?

The study uses the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database and analyzes a cross-sectional nationwide population over follow-up from 2009 to 2020.

What was the overall association between psoriasis and head and neck cancer risk?

The psoriasis group showed a significantly increased head and neck cancer risk versus the non-psoriasis group after multivariable adjustment (HR 1.36; 95% CI 1.07–1.74; p = 0.01).

Which specific head and neck cancer types were most elevated in patients with psoriasis?

Nasopharyngeal cancer and salivary gland cancer risks were especially elevated, and alcohol consumption also significantly influenced risk, particularly for oropharyngeal and oral cavity cancers.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Aurora