Age-and gender-appropriate cancer screening risks missing most occult malignancies in young dermatomyositis patients.

Age-and gender-appropriate cancer screening risks missing most occult malignancies in young dermatomyositis patients. Br J Dermatol. 2019 Oct 20;: Authors: Kundrick A, Kitts S, Maczuga S, Olsen N, Foulke G Abstract Dermatomyositis (DM) is an autoimmune disease associated with malignancy. Reported incidence of cancer ranges from 7-30% in adult DM patients, with most studies clustered around 15-20% (1). The risk is elevated above the baseline population 3 years prior and 5 years following DM diagnosis. The period of greatest risk occurs in the first 3 years following diagnosis. Age >50 consistently shows strong association with the development of cancer. A retrospective analysis found most cancers were identified using blind screening, rather than symptom-guided or age-appropriate screenings. PMID: 31630395 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: The British Journal of Dermatology - Category: Dermatology Authors: Tags: Br J Dermatol Source Type: research