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Dermatomyositis and Gastrointestinal Cancer

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Gastrointestinal and Hepatic Manifestations of Rheumatic Diseases

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Abstract

Inflammatory myopathies, including dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM), are idiopathic disorders characterized by symmetrical proximal skeletal muscle weakness and often accompanied by inflammatory cell infiltration into the muscle tissue. Several lines of evidence suggest an association between myopathies and malignancies. The incidence of malignancy in PM patients is consistently reduced compared with that of DM. The incidence of malignancy in DM patients is varied in studies, but it is estimated that the incidence of malignancy in myopathies is increased five- to sevenfold compared with the general population.

Regarding the type of cancer, individuals with DM exhibit an increased risk of gastroenterological cancers, such as colon, pancreatic, oesophageal, and stomach cancer. The risk of malignancy remains for many years after a DM diagnosis, but the risk for malignancy was increased among patients DM within the first year of diagnosis compared with subsequent years. Although several clinical and laboratory findings suggest the presence of malignancy, autoantibodies against TIF-1γ or NXP-2 serve as promising markers for DM with malignancy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan

    Rei Suzuki & Hiromasa Ohira

  2. Department of Endoscopy, Fukushima Medical University Hospital, Fukushima, Japan

    Takuto Hikichi

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  1. Rei Suzuki
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  2. Takuto Hikichi
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Correspondence to Rei Suzuki .

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  1. Department of Gastroenterology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan

    Hiromasa Ohira

  2. Department of Rheumatology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan

    Kiyoshi Migita

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Suzuki, R., Hikichi, T., Ohira, H. (2019). Dermatomyositis and Gastrointestinal Cancer. In: Ohira, H., Migita, K. (eds) Gastrointestinal and Hepatic Manifestations of Rheumatic Diseases. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6524-9_4

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