Acromegaly Patients Face Significantly Higher Cancer Risk, Early Screening Urged
Patients diagnosed wiht acromegaly, a condition characterized by the overproduction of growth hormone, exhibit a substantially elevated risk of developing various cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma, ovarian, breast, and lung cancers.Alarmingly, many of these cancers manifest at younger ages compared to the general population, underscoring a critical need for integrated cancer screening protocols in routine acromegaly care.
The underlying mechanism is believed to involve elevated levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) in acromegaly patients, a known contributor to cancer growth. A extensive retrospective cohort analysis, drawing data from a multinational research network, compared cancer prevalence in 10,207 individuals with acromegaly against a control group of 102,070 individuals without the condition. The acromegaly cohort had a mean age of 43.2 years at disease onset, with 52.9% being women.
The findings revealed a stark increase in cancer odds for acromegaly patients. They faced a 3.3-fold higher likelihood of developing leukemia or lymphoma, a 1.9-fold increased risk for ovarian cancer, and a 1.8-fold increased risk for breast cancer. Lung cancer risk was also elevated by 1.9-fold, and prostate cancer risk by 1.5-fold. Furthermore, the study highlighted that certain cancers, specifically ovarian, lung, liver, and neuroendocrine tumors, appeared significantly earlier in acromegaly patients, with onset occurring 3.2 to 7.2 years sooner than in the general population.
“Our findings suggest that acromegaly may play a bigger role in cancer risk than previously thought, highlighting the need for increased awareness and early cancer screening in this population,” stated the lead researcher. This research, presented at ENDO 2025: The Endocrine Society Annual Meeting, emphasizes the proactive approach required to manage the health of individuals with acromegaly.