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Microbes & Immunity ABO blood type and cancer risk: A complex relationship

cancer, wherein the non-O blood group (OR 0.864, 95% Author contributions
CI 0.787 – 0.950) was associated with an increased risk
of lung cancer compared with the O blood group. In Conceptualization: Prashanna Koirala
120
contrast, a study involving 81 patients found no significant Writing–original draft: All authors
effect of the ABO blood group on the prognosis of non- Writing–review & editing: Prashanna Koirala, Saroj Nepal,
small-cell lung cancer. 121 Prabin Dawadi
3.11. Skin cancer Ethics approval and consent to participate

A study conducted from 1996 to 2006 explored the Not applicable.
potential association between the ABO blood group and Consent for publication
melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and basal cell
carcinoma (BCC). The multivariable HRs for the non-O Not applicable.
blood groups (A, B, and AB) were 0.91 (95% CI 0.78 –
1.05), 0.86 (95% CI 0.78 – 0.95), and 0.96 (95% CI 0.93 Data availability
– 0.99) for melanoma, SCC, and BCC, respectively. This Not applicable.
suggested a lower risk of developing SCC in participants
with the non-O blood group than in those with the O References
blood group. A study conducted from 2005 to 2012 1. Di Meo S, Iossa S, Venditti P. Skeletal muscle insulin
122
among 255 patients with skin cancer showed no significant resistance: Role of mitochondria and other ROS sources.
difference in the distribution of O and A blood groups J Endocrinol. 2017;233(1):R15-R42.
123
between the SCC and BCC groups (P = 0.663). Overall, doi: 10.1530/JOE-16-0598
the results suggest an association between the non-O blood
group and a higher risk of non-melanoma skin cancer. 2. Liumbruno GM, Franchini M. Hemostasis, cancer, and
ABO blood group: The most recent evidence of association.
4. Conclusion J Thromb Thrombolysis. 2014;38(2):160-166.

The association between blood group and cancer risk doi: 10.1007/s11239-013-1027-4
was significant only in pancreatic and gastric cancer, 3. Siransy LK, Nanga ZY, Zaba FS, Tufa NY, Dasse SR. ABO/
with individuals possessing the A blood group being at Rh blood groups and risk of HIV infection and hepatitis
greater risk. However, results were inconsistent in studies B among blood donors of Abidjan, Côte D’ivoire. Eur J
conducted on other types of cancer. This study provides Microbiol Immunol. 2015;5(3):205-209.
baseline data for understanding the association of blood doi: 10.1556/1886.2015.00029
type with the risk of cancer development.
4. Beauchemin N, Arabzadeh A. Carcinoembryonic antigen-
Further prospective studies with larger patient related cell adhesion molecules (CEACAMs) in cancer
populations are recommended to better understand progression and metastasis. Cancer Metastasis Rev.
the significance of the ABO blood group as a predictive 2013;32(3-4):643-671.
factor in different cancer types. Most recent discoveries doi: 10.1007/s10555-013-9444-6
have focused on ABO phenotype, making studies on the 5. Pasko BE, Abbott D, Bocsi GT, Draper NL. ABO blood
ABO genotype crucial for identifying new therapeutic groups are not associated with COVID-19 disease incidence
targets. Owing to the limited research in this area in Nepal, and severity when correcting for ethnicity differences in
Nepalese researchers should be encouraged to conduct blood type. Am J Clin Pathol. 2022;158(2):249-253.
studies exploring the association between the ABO blood doi: 10.1093/ajcp/aqac036
group and cancer risk in the Nepalese population.
6. Ewald DR, Sumner SCJ. Blood type biochemistry and human
Acknowledgments disease. Wiley Interdiscip Rev Syst Biol Med. 2016;8(6):517-535.
None. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1355
7. Ogasawara K, Sano R, Kominato Y. Review of ABO
Funding expression and variations based on transcriptional
None. regulation of the ABO blood group gene. Transfus Med
Hemother. 2024;51(4):210-224.
Conflict of interest doi: 10.1159/000536556
The authors declare no conflict of interest. 8. Franchini M, Liumbruno GM, Lippi G. The prognostic value

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