Cancer Risk May be Increased After Unexplained First Seizure, Finds Study

Source: Medicine Today

In a recent study, researchers found that first-time seizures are linked to an elevated short-term risk of cancer.

Seizures were a known cancer complication, but it was unclear if they could also be the first sign of undiagnosed cancer. The study identified almost 50,000 adults who experienced a first-time seizure between January 1996 and December 2022. A total of 2,022 cancers were observed within the first year of follow up after a first-time seizure, including 1,172 neurological and 850 non-neurological cancers. The risk remained slightly elevated over the long term after a first-time seizure for both types of cancer, the study found.

“These findings indicate that first-time seizures may serve as an early clinical sign of both neurological and non-neurological occult cancers, thus highlighting the importance of considering broader diagnostic assessments for persons with first-time seizures,” the study authors concluded. In addition to imaging, a thorough history should be taken addressing all risk factors for epilepsy and cancer, such as smoking and family history, together with a neurological examination.

Learn More