First-Time Seizures Linked to Increased Risk for Cancer

WEDNESDAY, May 13, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- First-time seizures are associated with an elevated risk for cancer, which is most pronounced in the short term, according to a study published online April 27 in JAMA Neurology.Andreas Lund Pedersen, from Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, and colleagues examined neurological and nonneurological cancer risk in adults with first-time seizures versus the general population in a population-based cohort study using nationwide Danish medical registries from January 1996 through December 2022.The researchers found that within the first year of follow-up, there were 1,172 neurological and 850 nonneurological cancers observed among 49,894 adults with first-time seizure. From one to less than five years, 87 neurological and 1,226 nonneurological cancers were observed; 112 neurological and 2,120 nonneurological cancers were observed from five to 20 years. The absolute risks for any cancer during these time periods were 4.1, 3.5, and 13.4 percent, respectively, with standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of 5.30, 1.18, and 1.34, respectively. For neurological cancers, the absolute risks were 2.4, 0.2, and 0.7 percent, respectively, with SIRs of 76.1, 1.85, and 1.46, respectively. For nonneurological cancers, the corresponding absolute risks were 1.7, 3.3, and 12.8 percent, with SIRs of 2.32, 1.15, and 1.33."These findings indicate that first-time seizures may serve as an early clinical sign of both neurological and nonneurological occult cancers, thus highlighting the importance of considering broader diagnostic assessments for persons with first-time seizures," the authors write.Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

First-Time Seizures Linked to Increased Risk for Cancer

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