Anything from minor irritations and chronic diseases to, yes, cancer can cause persistent itching
Itchy skin may be more than just a nuisance. In fact, itching that won’t go away can be a sign of an underlying disease. Up to 50% of adults with persistent itching are diagnosed with a health condition.
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“If you have itchy skin that isn’t going away, it’s important to understand what’s causing it,” says medical oncologist James Isaacs, MD.
Anything from minor skin irritations to chronic disease can cause itchy skin — and yes, it can also be a symptom of cancer.
Though itchy skin isn’t the most common cancer symptom, a study of almost 17,000 adults found that people with itchy skin may be five times more likely to have cancer than people without it. It’s also a frequent reaction to certain cancer treatments.
Many people with cancer experience itchy skin (pruritis) at some point, Dr. Isaacs says. Itchy skin associated with cancer can occur when:
Itching linked to cancer often has certain characteristics. Typically it:
To understand what’s causing your itchiness, a healthcare provider will likely ask you how long you’ve been itching and whether you’ve been exposed to skin irritants, like poison ivy or a new laundry detergent.
But sometimes, itching is a symptom of certain types of cancer.
Your GI (digestive) system uses bile to break down food. But a tumor in your digestive tract can block the tubes (bile ducts) that carry bile from your liver to your gallbladder. When that happens, bile can build up and increase the amount of bilirubin (a substance found in bile) in your blood.
“Any GI cancer that blocks the bile ducts can increase bilirubin,” Dr. Isaacs explains. “It tends to happen when cancer is more advanced, but it’s not uncommon.” High levels of bilirubin can cause itchy skin and (jaundice) of your skin and eyes.
GI cancers that can block your bile duct include:
Blood cancers involve white blood cells, red blood cells or bone marrow — the spongy center of bones. No one knows for sure why blood cancers can cause itching, but some experts believe blood cancer cells may release chemicals that irritate your skin’s nerve endings.
“Itchiness may be a sign of some blood cancers,” Dr. Isaacs says, “but it’s not a classic symptom for most of those diseases.”
The blood cancers most likely to cause itchy skin include:
“We can screen for blood cancer with a simple blood test, and review of symptoms,” Dr. Isaacs adds. “If blood counts and physical exam are normal, you probably don’t have blood cancer.”
Cancer that spreads (known as metastatic cancer) may cause itchy skin if it spreads to either your liver or skin.
It’s somewhat rare for cancer to spread to the skin, Dr. Isaacs says, but it can happen. Cancers most likely to spread to your skin include:
Metastatic cancer is more likely to cause itching if it spreads to your liver and blocks your bile ducts. Cancers that may spread to your liver include:
Itchy breasts are rarely caused by cancer. But two types of breast cancer may involve an itchy rash:
“Whenever a spot on the skin of your breast is itchy, irregular or painful, have it checked by a healthcare provider,” Dr. Isaacs advises.
Skin cancer may cause itchy skin, but not always. Melanoma, the most dangerous skin cancer, is the least likely to itch.
“A benign (noncancerous) mole shouldn’t cause pain, bleeding or itching, and it shouldn’t change in size or shape,” Dr. Isaacs says. He adds that itchy skin is rarely the only sign of skin cancer. “If you have any skin symptoms, a medical professional should check you.”
It’s often not cancer that causes itching; it’s cancer treatment. Itchiness that immediately follows cancer treatment may be an allergic reaction to the treatment, while persistent and possibly even long-term itching is a common side effect of immunotherapy.
Immunotherapy activates your immune system to target cancer. But the inflammation it causes can lead to an itchy rash — or even an itch without a rash. The itching usually goes away once you stop treatment, but some people experience long-term itchiness.
“It’s probably the most common symptom I see in people on immunotherapy,” Dr. Isaacs notes. “The itching can affect their quality of life and often becomes a serious issue.”
Itchy skin can also be a less common side effect of other treatments:
If you experience itchy skin as a side effect of cancer treatment, talk to your healthcare provider.
“You may think that itchy skin isn’t something your provider would be concerned about, but side effects can affect your quality of life, and keeping you comfortable during your treatment is important,” Dr. Isaacs reassures. “We can try home remedies or prescribed treatments.”
Treatments for itchy skin may include:
“If you’re up to date with your screenings, you’ve had labs and a healthcare provider has checked your symptoms, your itchy skin is likely not caused by cancer,” Dr. Isaacs says.
But remember: Itchy skin is often a sign of an underlying medical problem, even if that medical issue isn’t cancer. If it’s not going away, keep pursuing answers.
“Skin conditions and diseases like liver and kidney failure can contribute to itching,” he reiterates, “so it’s always important to see a healthcare provider for persistent itchiness.”
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