HFE C282Y and H63D in adults with malignancies in a community medical oncology practice

James C Barton¹^,2^,3 , Luigi F Bertoli¹^,2 and Ronald T Acton³^,4

¹Southern Iron Disorders Center, Birmingham, Alabama, USA

²Department of Medicine, Brookwood Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama, USA

³Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA

⁴Immunogenetics Program and Departments of Microbiology and Epidemiology and International Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA

author email corresponding author email

BMC Cancer 2004, 4:6doi:10.1186/1471-2407-4-6


Published:	10 February 2004

Abstract

Background

We sought to compare frequencies of HFE C282Y and H63D alleles and associated odds ratios (OR) in 100 consecutive unrelated white adults with malignancy to those in 318 controls.

Methods

Data from patients with more than one malignancy were analyzed according to each primary malignancy. For the present study, OR ≥2.0 or ≤0.5 was defined to be increased or decreased, respectively.

Results

There were 110 primary malignancies (52 hematologic neoplasms, 58 carcinomas) in the 100 adult patients. Allele frequencies were similar in patients and controls (C282Y: 0.0850 vs. 0.0896, respectively (OR = 0.9); H63D: 0.1400 vs. 0.1447, respectively (OR = 0.9)). Two patients had hemochromatosis and C282Y homozygosity. With C282Y, increased OR occurred in non-Hodgkin lymphoma, myeloproliferative disorders, and adenocarcinoma of prostate (2.0, 2.8, and 3.4, respectively); OR was decreased in myelodysplasia (0.4). With H63D, increased OR occurred in myeloproliferative disorders and adenocarcinomas of breast and prostate (2.4, 2.0, and 2.0, respectively); OR was decreased in non-Hodgkin lymphoma and B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (0.5 and 0.4, respectively).

Conclusions

In 100 consecutive adults with malignancy evaluated in a community medical oncology practice, frequencies of HFE C282Y or H63D were similar to those in the general population. This suggests that C282Y or H63D is not associated with an overall increase in cancer risk. However, odds ratios computed in the present study suggest that increased (or decreased) risk for developing specific types of malignancy may be associated with the inheritance of HFE C282Y or H63D. Study of more patients with these specific types of malignancies is needed to determine if trends described herein would remain and yield significant differences.