Correlation between allergic rhinitis or hay fever and lung cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: The association between allergies and cancer is contradictory, whereas some forms of cancer have inverse associations with allergies. Allergic rhinitis (AR) is the most prevalent form of allergy, and lung cancer is one of the most prevalent forms of cancer with the highest mortality rate. Recent studies have reported a positive association between asthma and lung cancer; however, this association is inconclusive. Furthermore, AR is positively associated with asthma; therefore, our research question was to explore whether there is any correlation between AR and lung cancer epidemiologically. Methods: After a rigorous search of PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect, 7 eligible articles were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis, including 4724 cases and 9059 controls, 5 from the USA, and one each from Canada and Germany. Results: Pooled analysis (OR, 0.55; 95% CI: 0.45–0.68; P value < .00001) showed a strong inverse relationship between AR and lung cancer. Conclusion: The current meta-analysis suggests an inverse relationship between AR and lung cancer; however, new epidemiological studies are required to observe the current scenario more comprehensively.