Second primary cancers after anogenital, skin, oral, esophageal and rectalcancers: Etiological links?

The Swedish Family-Cancer Database was used to analyze second cancers after oral, esophageal, rectal, cervical, genital and skin (squamous cell carcin oma) cancers. A strong and consistent association of second cancers was obs erved at all these sites, in men and women. As a novel finding, an associat ion of rectal cancer with the human papillomavirus (HVP) related cancers wa s shown. New evidence on an excess of skin cancer with the HPV-related canc ers was also provided. As an epidemiological study, the associations were s trong and often supported by a number of comparisons. These could not be ex plained by bias or long-term treatment related effects. However, whether th e findings on rectal and skin cancer are due to HPV or other infections, tr ansient or inherited depressed immune function or other constitutional fact ors remains to be established. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.