AT A GLANCE

A new study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology reports that the risks for both hematologic and solid organ cancers are significantly increased among patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), with variation according to auto-antibody status.¹

“Patients with SSc face increased cancer risk compared to the general population, yet current evidence on specific cancer patterns and their relationship to auto-antibody status remains poorly characterized,” explain study authors Mahajan et al. “This study seeks to evaluate cancer risk patterns in SSc patients and investigate associations between specific autoantibodies and cancer development.”

For study purposes, the authors conducted an analysis of 5-year cancer incidence rates in 66,637 adults with SSc versus matched controls with seborrheic keratosis using electronic medical records from 128 healthcare organizations (from 2014–2024). To facilitate analysis, patients were stratified by auto-antibody status—specifically, RNA polymerase III, anti-centromere, or anti–Scl-70—when available. Primary outcomes of interest included 5-year incidence rates of hematologic and solid-organ cancers, with hazard ratios calculated via Cox proportional hazards regression.

According to the authors, an elevated 5-year all-type cancer risk (HR, 1.17) was noted for SSc patients. In particular, the hematologic cancer risk was significantly increased (HR, 1.68), especially considering multiple myeloma (HR, 2.13) and myelodysplastic syndromes (HR, 2.03. Meanwhile, when considering solid organ cancers (HR, 1.23), the greatest risk was documented for esophageal cancer (HR, 3.96), followed by lung cancer (HR, 2.32).

When considering patients by autoantibody status, those with anti–Scl-70 positivity showed an increased overall cancer risk (HR, 1.40), while those with RNA polymerase III positivity had higher rates of hematologic cancers (HR, 2.20) and those with anti-centromere positivity showed no increased risk of cancer.

“SSc patients demonstrate significantly increased risks for both hematologic and solid organ cancers, with risk profiles varying by autoantibody status. These findings suggest the need for targeted cancer screening strategies in SSc and further research to confirm the generalizability of these findings,” conclude the authors.

Reference

1.     Mahajan A, Vazquez-Machado M, Zangenah N, Sparks JA, LaChance AH.  Distinct cancer risk profiles in patients with systemic sclerosis with autoantibody stratification (online ahead of print July 25, 2025). Arthritis Rheumatol.