title: Possible relationship between neurocysticercosis and hematological malignancies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies have shown an increased frequency of chromosomal abnormalities in lymphocytes from animals and humans with cysticercosis. Some reports have suggested an association between cancer and cysticercosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible association between neurocysticercosis and cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We designed a mortality rate study from the autopsy files of the Department of Pathology at the General Hospital of Mexico. A total of 1,271 autopsy files were reviewed. All files in which a malignant neoplasia was found during autopsy were selected as cases. Autopsies in which no malignant disease was found were used as controls. The odds ratio was determined between the frequency of neurocysticercosis in patients with any malignant neoplasia and that of the controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Neurocysticercosis was more frequent in cases with malignant hematological diseases (MHD) than in controls (p = 0.01). The odds ratio for this association was 3.54, with 95% confidence interval from 1.17-9.79.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most human cancers arise from the interaction of a multiplicity of factors, including xenobiotics and endogenous constituents. Therefore, while it will be difficult to demonstrate that neurocysticercosis is a causal agent of malignant hematological diseases (MHD), it should be considered as a potential risk factor for cancer induction in countries where cysticercosis remains a public health problem.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, D.F., México. metil@hotmail.com
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Herrera
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benita-Bordes
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sotelo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chávez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Olvera
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rascón
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ostrosky-Wegman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D020019:Neurocysticercosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality