Itchy skin, medically known as pruritus, is mostly harmless. However, if the itchiness persists for long, it may be a sign of certain cancers including lymphoma, skin cancer, or pancreatic cancer.
On the other hand, itching can also be a side effect of cancer treatments.
Which Cancers Cause Itchy Skin?
A 2018 study shows pruritus is associated with liver, skin, and lymphatic cancer. Furthermore, people with pruritus are more likely to develop cancers than people without pruritus.
Researchers believe that itchy skin is most commonly associated with:
- skin cancer
- liver cancer
- pancreatic cancer
- bone marrow cancer
- biliary cancer ( related to the gall bladder and biliary ducts)
In addition, black patients with pruritus have a higher likelihood of skin, soft tissue, and hematologic malignancies than white patients, while whites have a higher likelihood of liver, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and gynecologic malignancies.
1. Skin Cancer
Mostly, dermatologists associate skin cancer with skin changes other than itchiness.
Symptoms:
Skin cancer symptoms vary with the type of cancer. General symptoms may include:
- Appearance of a lump
- Sore red patches
- A lesion that bleeds
- Rapidly growing spot
- Itching on the spots
You should immediately consult a doctor if the above symptoms persist for more than 2 weeks.
Causes:
Skin cancer occurs due to exposure to sunlight. Hence, areas like the face, neck, arms, and legs are more prone to skin cancer than the rest of the body.
Following are the risk factors for skin cancer:
- Exposure to natural or artificial sunlight for a long time
- Fair complexion
- Weak immune system
- Exposure to arsenic
- Family history of skin cancer
As fair-skinned people have less protective pigment (melanin) in their skin, they are more likely to develop skin cancers. But this does not mean that people of color cannot develop skin cancers.
Treatment:
Common treatments include:
1. Surgery: The primary treatment for most skin cancers is surgery. In the procedure, cancer cells are removed along with the surrounding skin cells.
2. Chemotherapy: Chemo is suggested for people with advanced skin cancer. Especially when the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body
3. Radiation Therapy: Radiation is used to kill the remaining cancer cells after surgery. It may also be used if the cancer comes back.
2. Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the lymph nodes. It may result in itchy skin due to the cancer cells spreading to the skin and causing inflammation.
Symptoms:
Itching is a common symptom of lymphoma. The itching is caused due to release of chemicals by the immune system in response to the lymphoma cells.
Moreover, symptoms include:
- Tiredness
- Loss of appetite
- Weightloss
- Rashes
- Unexplained fever
- Breathing problems
Causes:
People exposed to radiation and chemicals like benzene and other agricultural products are at higher risk to develop lymphoma.
A weakened immune system is also associated with lymphoma.
Treatment:
Treatments include
- Radiotherapy
- Chemotherapy
- Palliative Care
The objective of palliative care is to enhance your well-being by mitigating the symptoms of cancer, rather than striving to achieve a cure.
3. Pancreatic Cancer
Sometimes, itchy skin can be linked to pancreatic cancer, but scientists don’t fully comprehend how this happens. The tumor might release specific substances that cause itching.
Symptoms:
Itching is not the major symptom of pancreatic cancer but jaundice can cause bile to enter the skin and cause itching.
Further symptoms include:
- Jaundice
- Tiredness
- Loss of Appetite
- Weightloss
Causes:
A major risk factor for pancreatic cancer is smoking. More causes can be obesity or personal history of diabetes and pancreatitis.
Treatment:
Pancreatic cancer is mostly treated with surgery followed by chemotherapy with or without radiation.
4. Blood Cancer
Any type of blood cancer can cause itchiness. In certain cancers, the itching triggered by water persists even before the detection of cancer.
Symptoms:
The earliest symptoms of blood cancer are mistaken for severe cold or flu. The symptoms are different for each type of blood cancer, however, the common ones include:
- Unexplained rashes or bruises
- Fever and chills
- Shortness of breath
- Persistent weakness
- Frequent infections
Causes:
It is believed that blood cancers are due to certain genetic and environmental factors. Nevertheless, experts link blood cancers to smoking, exposure to radiation, and certain chemicals.
Treatment:
Treatments for blood cancer include chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
In addition, healthy stem cells can be infused into the body for the production of healthy cells after the therapy.
Similarly, immunotherapy can be used to kill specific cancer cells by activating the immune system.
5. Biliary Cancer
Most people with bile duct cancer face itching. The cancer blocks the bile ducts, as a result, the bile salts are flushed to your blood causing itchiness in the skin.
Symptoms:
If you experience the following, you may have biliary cancer:
- Yellowing of skin and eyes
- Severe itchiness
- very dark urine
- pale stools
- swollen abdomen
- loss of appetite
It is best to consult a doctor for a checkup as these symptoms may be due to improper functioning of the liver.
Causes:
There is no specific cause for gall bladder and bile duct cancer. However, there are some risk factors that increase your chances of developing this cancer:
- Old age
- Obesity
- Gall stones
- Diabetes
- Alcohol
- Family History
Certain ethnicities like Latin American and Asian people are more likely to develop biliary cancer.
Other Causes of Itchy Skin
Itchy skin doesn’t always indicate cancer. Itchiness can be because of
- Allergies
- Dry skin
- Eczema
- Dandruff
- Insect bites
- Fungal infections
Home Treatment For Itchiness
Here are some tips to relieve itching at home:
- Warm baths
- Patting the skin dry instead of rubbing
- Wearing loose clothes
- Keep your skin clean and moisturized
- Drinking lots of water
- Using fragrance-free skincare products
When To See A Doctor
You should immediately consult a doctor or a primary oncologist if your itching lasts for more than two weeks or you see
- dry red flaking skin
- yellowing of skin and eyes
- sores and lesions.
Conclusion
It’s important to know that having an itch doesn’t always mean you have cancer. There are many other possible reasons for itching. But if the itching doesn’t go away, has no clear reason, or is happening with other concerning symptoms, you should see a doctor right away.
Finding the cause of the itch early on, including if it’s cancer, can lead to better treatment and outcomes. To get an accurate diagnosis and the right care, it’s best to talk to a healthcare professional.
