Follow-up study among allergy patients of a dermatological University Hospital in Germany

A historical follow-up study was conducted among the patients of the Allerg y Department of the Dermatological University Hospital in Heidelberg during the years 1973 -1985. Objective of the study was to examine whether the fr equently reported observation of a decreased cancer risk associated with al lergic disorders could be confirmed in a cohort of clinically verified alle rgy patients. Type I allergies were diagnosed among 1780 cohort members and type IV allergies among 531 cohort members. The total mortality was signif icantly increased (SMR = 193.0) among female patients with type I allergies (males: SMR = 91.0), and with SMR = 139.0 among male patients with type IV allergies (females: SMR = 86.4). For type I allergies mortality from disea ses of the respiratory system was increased, particularly among women. With 32 observed deaths from cancer among both subcohorts together versus 32.2 expected this study provided no indication to an altered overall cancer ris k associated with allergic disorders. However, due to the small number of o bserved cancer cases the power of the study to detect a difference was limi ted.