Acne vulgaris and malignancy.

Seventy patients with lymphomas and leukaemias were interviewed. Details of past acne vulgaris were recorded and a clinical examination performed. A history of acne was less common in the patients than in matched controls. In addition, fewer patients had received treatment prescribed by a medical practitioner for their acne than had the controls. Examination revealed fewer patients with acne. These results suggest a reduced incidence of acne or its more severe forms in patients who have developed lymphomas and leukemias, and provide some support for the hypothesis that increased exposure or response to P. acnes, as appears to occur with acne, could confer protection against malignant disease.