Celiac patients are very concerned about their diet for two reasons. First, gluten makes us sick. Note the silent celiac patients don’t deal with symptoms from eating gluten, so it’s different for them. Second is the myriad of other diseases that come with untreated celiac disease.

Today, let’s talk about cancer risk. There is an idea that celiac disease confers a higher risk of cancer. 

A 2021 study from Sweden discusses these risks. 

Overall cancer risk is higher in the first year after celiac diagnosis. Researchers believe that a celiac diagnosis may be found in conjunction with an already existing cancer. In other words, while trying to figure out what is wrong, doctors find celiac disease. While diagnosing celiac disease, they may miss the cancer. Which may explain why the risk of cancer is higher in the first year after a celiac diagnosis.

Overall cancer risk is higher if you are diagnosed after 40. This risk returns to a “normal” range one year post-diagnosis.

Certain cancers are specifically associated with celiac disease.  Increases in gastrointestinal cancers but decreased in breast and lung cancers were seen across the study.  More specifically, liver and pancreatic cancer risk is increased but not stomach or colon – which seems weird.

Villous atrophy or the characteristic damage to the small intestine of celiac disease also changes specific cancer risk profiles.  Blood and lymph cancers carry higher risk and breast cancer lower risk profiles when the body doesn’t heal.

What should you take away from this?

This study and several like it confirm each other. 

• The highest risk for any cancer is during the first year after diagnosis.  
• Diagnosis later in life confers higher cancer risk.
• Celiac that doesn’t heal, indicates higher cancer risk.
• A gluten free diet is thought to be healthier and may convey some protection against cancer.