Breast cancer in systemic sclerosis: Results of a cross-linkage of an Italian Rheumatologic Center and a population-based Cancer Registry and review of the literature

A significant increase of breast cancer incidence compared to sex-age-matched general population from the same geographic area was observed. Moreover, a close temporal relationship between SSc and breast cancer onset was found, independently from clinical, serological, and instrumental features of SSc. The possible pathogenetic link between this systemic autoimmune disease and complicating breast cancer, as well as the results of previous studies, are discussed.