title: Breast cancer and scleroderma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epidemiologic studies have shown that patients with scleroderma have an increased risk of cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors report eight cases and retrospectively review the published data on the possible association between breast cancer and scleroderma of the cutaneous and systemic forms. The records of all patients with scleroderma and breast cancer who were hospitalized during 1980-2002 in the Chaim Sheba Medical Center were surveyed. A literature search for breast cancer and scleroderma was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The clinical data of 65 women patients with breast cancer and scleroderma, eight of whom were hospitalized in the Chaim Sheba Medical Center and 57 who were reported in the literature, are summarized. In 29 patients (44%), scleroderma appeared before or simultaneously with the diagnosis of breast cancer. While a higher frequency of systemic scleroderma was described in this group, a higher rate of cutaneous scleroderma appeared in the group where scleroderma followed breast cancer diagnosis (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Large-scale case-control studies are needed to substantiate the possible association between scleroderma-both cutaneous and systemic-and breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, The Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel. a_scope@netvision.net.il
authors.forename: Alon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scope
authors.forename: Siegal
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sadetzki
authors.forename: Yechezkel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sidi
authors.forename: Aviv
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barzilai
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Trau
authors.forename: Bela
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kaufman
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Catane
authors.forename: Micahel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ehrenfeld
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012594:Scleroderma, Localized / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology