Assessment of the Relationship Between ABO Blood Group and Familial Cancer Occurrence in Kirkuk City: Relationship Between ABO Blood Group and Familial Cancer Occurrence in Kirkuk City

TL;DR

This study explores the link between ABO blood groups and familial cancer occurrence in Kirkuk City, finding a possible association with the O- blood group.

Contribution

The study investigates the relationship between ABO blood groups and hereditary cancers, a less explored area in cancer research.

Findings

O- blood group was significantly associated with a higher likelihood of familial cancer history in first-degree relatives.

Breast cancer was more prevalent in groups with family history of cancer.

Age and sex distributions varied significantly across familial cancer groups.

Abstract

The potential connection between blood types and cancer risk has
become a puzzling yet intriguing area of research in recent years; while its
association is widely assessed with cancer occurrence, it is not well assessed
in case of hereditary cancers. This study aimed to assess the relation between
ABO blood groups and the occurrence of familial cancers among the patients with
cancer in Kirkuk city, Iraq.

This cross-sectional study
was carried out in Kirkuk city from the period 15th October 2023 to 15th April
2024 on 398 patients diagnosed with cancer in Kirkuk oncology center. The study
included three groups: patients with a family history of cancer in first-degree
relatives (n=90), no family history (n=288), and second-degree relatives (n=20).
Data was collected from both medical records and patient interviews, focusing on
demographic details, lifestyle habits, medical history, and exposure to
potential risk factors. In-depth interviews provided further details on
lifestyle patterns, including smoking habits, alcohol use, eating habits,
medical conditions, medication use, viral infections, and exposure to chemicals
or radiation. Data was analyzed using SPSS V.26 comparing based on the familial
cancer history.

Significant differences were noted in age distribution,
with the 38-47 and 48-57 age groups being more common in the first-degree and no
family history groups, respectively. Sex distribution showed a higher proportion
of females in the first-degree and second-degree groups (P=0.017). There were
higher proportions of high socioeconomic status in the second-degree group and
married individuals in the first-degree and second-degree groups compared to
non-familial cancers. Breast cancer was more prevalent in the first-degree and
second-degree groups. Adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, Body-Mass-Index
(BMI), cancer type, and health related habits, O- blood group was significantly
associated with a higher likelihood of familial cancer history in first-degree
relatives (OR: 14.083, P=0.024) compared to non-familial ones. Other blood
groups did not show significant associations.

There might be an
association between familial cancer O- blood group that needs to be re-evaluated
in further studies.