13 Nov Family History of Cancer Linked to Increased Risk of Asthma

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Nagarajan

Sairaman Nagarajan, MD
Clinical Fellow at State University
New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: The impetus for this study came from our previous research linking asthma, hay-fever and overall cancer diagnoses using the CDC’s National Health Interview Survey database.

The division of Allergy and Immunology at SUNY Downstate has also conducted two pilot studies on the relationship between parental cancer and childhood asthma in Brooklyn’s population; one from Lutheran Medical Center focusing on Hispanics and Asian patients, and the other on African-American and Afro-Caribbean patients.

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?

Response: In this study, we wished to examine this relationship in a nationally representative cohort of patients (the NHIS).

All three studies found an increased risk of asthma development in those with a positive parental cancer history.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: Clinicians, particularly pediatricians, pediatric pulmonologists and Allergists/Immunologists should screen children with a positive history of cancer in the family more aggressively for asthma, as early detection and treatment can improve long term asthma outcomes and prognosis. 

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this work?

 Response: Future research should focus on examining the underlying pathophysiologic relationship between cancer and asthma occurrence, as well as the possible risk profiles posed by different cancer types. It may well be that certain cancers are more of a risk factor than others in determining asthma occurrence. 

MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Response: We believe this to be the first large-scale study of the family history of cancer-childhood asthma association in the US, and hope that our findings are useful to clinicians, as well as a spur for further studies on the above relationship. No funding was sought or obtained for this study. The authors have no financial relationships to disclose. 

Citation: AAAI 2019 abstract

The Effect of Family Histories of Cancer on Childhood Asthma Diagnoses

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Last Updated on November 13, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD