Occult malignancy in patients with pericarditis and concurrent cardiovascular diseases: a population-based cohort study

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide; it is a group of diseases underpinned by abnormal uncontrolled cell growth that invades or spreads throughout the human body interfering with normal physiology. Early detection is paramount to allow the initiation of treatments with curative potential. Studies now indicate that cardiovascular diseases (CVD) may be markers of occult cancer. For example, patients with a first-time diagnosis of pericarditis, a relatively benign and typically self-limiting disease, has been highlighted as a potential marker of occult cancer [1]. Other CVD have also demonstrated a similar association, such as atrial fibrillation (AF), superficial or deep venous thromboembolism (SDVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), splanchnic vein thrombosis (SVT) and infective endocarditis (IE) [2–5]. Whilst the risk of occult cancer in these conditions has been investigated in isolation, no data exists outlining the risk when they present concurrently. Given the strong association of these conditions independently, it is intuitive to consider a greater risk with concurrent presentations, providing an opportunity for early screening and treatment. We investigated the association of occult malignancy in patients with pericarditis and concurrent CVD in a Western Australian population.