Coeliac disease, gluten-free diet, and malignancy.
Two hundred and two patients with coeliac disease or idiopathic steatorrhoea previously reported from this unit have been reviewed after a further 10 years of follow-up. Of 20 more deaths, 10 were due to malignancy. A separate study was made of all patients with histologically confirmed coeliac disease seen to the end of 1972 and followed up to the end of 1974. Twenty-one of the 43 deaths in this series were due to malignant tumours, of which 13 were reticulum cell sarcomas. There was no evidence that patients showing sub-optimal clinical response to gluten withdrawal or persisting falt jejunal biopsies were more prone to die of cancer. A gluten-free diet did not appear to be effective in preventing malignant complications, but a longer follow-up of patients will be necessary to provide a final answer to this question.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000473:pathology; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D005983:Glutens; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000209:etiology; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D011230:Precancerous Conditions
D005983:Glutens