Brown University Researchers Believe There's a Link Between Rosacea and Thyroid and Skin Cancers

Perhaps one of the most frightening studies to come out regarding rosacea is a new one from the Warren Alpert Medical School Department of Epidemiology at Brown University in Rhode Island. They found a potential link between rosacea and both thyroid and skin cancer.

The Brown University Study

During the 20-year study, they looked at the medical histories of more than 75,000 people from 1991 to 2011. There was a strong prevalence of people diagnosed with rosacea to also have an increased risk of having thyroid cancer and Basal Cell skin cancer.

Of the original group, more than 10,000 were diagnosed with either thyroid or skin cancer. More than 5,100 of the patients had a malignant tumor of the thyroid and more than 5,700 developed Basal Cell Carcinoma. These were the only two common cancers found among the entire group.

The good news is that Basal Cell Carcinoma is not a melanoma. This type of skin cancer is easily treated and doesn't spread as easily as melanoma. In addition, the FDA recently completed a trial on an oral medication to treat Basal Cell Carcinoma and found that 5.8 out of 10 patients to use the pill had their tumors die or shrink.

Recommendations

The recommendations offered by the researchers at Brown University is to go or frequent medical check-ups. Make sure you and your doctor are keeping an eye on any changes to your skin and any issues with thyroid function.