The Association between Allergy and Cancer - A Case-Control Study

Sep 21, 2026

Background: Allergies may exert protective or promoting effects on cancers, and evidence suggests associations differ by cancer site. This case-control study investigates relationships between various allergy types and three cancer types: lung, breast, and colorectal cancer. Methods: Among 556 patients, conditional logistic regression assessed factors including allergy history, pet allergies, respiratory symptoms, food allergies, itching/urticaria, and infections. Results: Itching/urticaria showed protective associations with colorectal and lung cancer, while night coughing and allergies since age 10 increased odds of breast and lung cancer. Conclusion: Allergy-cancer associations are site-specific and require further investigation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Editorial Process

Submission and Acceptance

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Keywords and Journal Citation

Introduction

Global cancer burden

Allergy and immunology background

Competing hypotheses about mechanisms

Study Rationale and Controversy

RESEARCH ARTICLE Editorial Process: Submission:02/04/2024 Acceptance:08/03/2024 The Association between Allergy and Cancer: A Case-Control Study Mohammad Aryaie1, Vahid Moazed2, Ali-Akbar Haghdoost3, Sima Saljughi4, Andishe Hamedi5, Zahra Jaafari5, Reza Sadeghi6, Hossein Mirshekarpour7, Mitra Samareh-Fekri8, Ahmad Naghibzadeh-Tahami9 * Abstract Background: Allergies may either have a protective or a promoting effect on cancers. This study seeks to explore the relationship between various types of allergies and three specific cancer types: lung, breast, and colorectal cancer, thereby adding fresh insights to the existing scientific. Methods: Among the 556 patients, there were 115 cases of colorectal cancer, 305 cases of breast cancer, and 136 cases of lung cancer. The ratio of the case group to the control group was 1:1 . We assessed the association between various variables, such as family history of allergy, allergies since the age of 10, pet allergies, seasonal flu, night and activity-related coughing, food allergies, itching or urticaria, childhood respiratory infections, and common colds, with the aforementioned cancers. The data were also analyzed using conditional logistic regression. Results: The results showed a protective association between itching or urticaria due to environmental factors and colorectal cancer (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 0.4, 95% CI: 0.17-0.94), as well as lung cancer (AOR: 0.26, 95% CI: 0.09-0.75). Additionally, a borderline association was observed between itching or urticaria and breast cancer (AOR: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.28-1.03). Allergy to pets also exhibited an inverse borderline association with breast cancer (AOR: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.18-1.05) and lung cancer (AOR: 0.25, 95% CI: 0.06-1.14) . Furthermore, night coughing and allergies since the age of 10 were found to increase the odds of developing breast cancer (AOR: 2.38, 95% CI: 1.44-3.92; AOR: 5.10, 95% CI: 2.56-10.56, respectively) and lung cancer (AOR: 2.40, 95% CI: 1.29-4.46; AOR: 8.71, 95% CI: 3.29-23.03, respectively) . Conclusion: allergies and cancer have a site-specific assciation . To confirm these findings and understand the reasons behind these associations, more investigation is required. Keywords: Allergy-neoplasm-case-control-Iran Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 25 (8), 2787-2795 Introduction Cancer is a significant leading cause of death globally. In 2018, there were 18.1 million new cases of cancer and 9.6 million reported deaths. Approximately one in five men and one in six women develop cancer during their lifetime, with one in eight men and one in eleven women ultimately succumbing to the disease [1, 2] . Various factors, including biological, lifestyle, and environmental influences, have been studied in relation to the development of cancer [3] . Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergic diseases (hereon called allergies) are frequently reported, particularly in developed countries, and result in high morbidity and significant costs for healthcare systems [4, 5] . Previous studies have suggested a potential inverse association between allergies and cancer [6-8]. The most commonly reported allergies are atopic diseases, including allergic rhinitis, asthma, and eczema, as well as food allergies [9] . Currently, the association between allergy and oncology is of high interest. The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) has established a task force to better understand basic immune responses in both fields [10] . Given the high prevalence of allergies in the general population, their association with cancers has been noted. 1Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK. 2Physiology Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. 3HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Med

FAQs

What was the main purpose of this case-control study?

To explore the relationship between various types of allergies and three cancer types: lung, breast, and colorectal cancer.

How many patients were included, and what cancers were analyzed?

The study included 556 patients: 115 colorectal cancer cases, 305 breast cancer cases, and 136 lung cancer cases.

Which allergy-related factors showed protective associations with cancer?

Itching or urticaria linked to environmental factors was protective for colorectal cancer and lung cancer, based on adjusted odds ratios and confidence intervals reported in the results.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by River Wang