Study: Morphea Linked to Elevated Cancer Incidence
Key Takeaways
New research shows morphea and systemic sclerosis were associated with 24% and 37% higher cancer incidence, respectively, compared with population expectations.
Solid tumor incidence increased in both conditions, while hematologic cancer risk was significantly elevated only in systemic sclerosis.
The authors said evidence is insufficient to recommend intensified cancer screening.
Patients with morphea and systemic sclerosis (SSc) have an increased incidence of cancer compared with the general population, according to a population-based cohort study published in JAMA Dermatology.
Researchers analyzed linked administrative health databases from Quebec, Canada, identifying 6,181 patients with morphea and 8,133 with SSc between 1996 and 2019, with follow-up through 2020. Cancer incidence was compared with general population rates using standardized incidence ratios (SIRs).
During follow-up, 782 patients with morphea (12.65%) and 1,104 with SSc (13.57%) developed cancer. Overall cancer incidence was elevated in both groups, with SIRs of 1.24 (95% CI, 1.14 to 1.35) for morphea and 1.37 (95% CI, 1.27 to 1.48) for SSc. Solid tumor incidence was increased in both cohorts, with SIRs of 1.17 for morphea and 1.21 for SSc. Hematologic cancer risk was only elevated among patients with SSc (SIR, 2.40; 95% CI, 1.92 to 2.96).
Female reproductive and breast cancers predominated among patients with morphea, whereas lung cancer was most frequent in the SSc cohort. Younger patients demonstrated the highest relative cancer risk. Immunosuppressant use was associated with lower cancer risk in both morphea (hazard ratio, 0.56) and SSc (hazard ratio, 0.63), although the observational design did not establish causality.
Source
Muha J, et al. JAMA Dermatology. 2026. Doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2026.4685