Cancer in collagen disease. A statistical analysis by reviewing the annual of pathological autopsy cases (nippon boken shuho) in Japan

Cases of systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, periarteritis nodosa, and dermato- and polymyositis autopsied in Japan during a recent, 7-year period (1972-1978) were studied to assess the incidence of cancer as a complication. In comparison with the other three groups, cases of dermato- and polymyositis (DP) showed quite a high incidence of malignancy: 53 of 99 for males (53.5%) and 36 of 139 for females (25.9%). In patients older than 50 years of age cancer was recognized in the autopsies of 65.7% of males and 38.2% of females with DP. The stomach was both the primary site and had the highest incidence of cancers in DP (62.3% males, 27.8% females). It was concluded that DP has a strong association with the development of cancer, particularly gastric carcinoma, in Japan.