Sarcoidosis and the occurrence of malignant diseases

Temporal relationship between sarcoidosis and malignancies in a nationwide cohort of 1942 patients

PURPOSE

To investigate the phenotype of sarcoidosis according to the time when a malignancy is diagnosed (preexisting to the diagnosis of sarcoidosis, concomitant, or sequential) and to identify prognostic factors associated with malignancies in a large cohort of patients with sarcoidosis.

METHODS

We searched for malignancies in the SARCOGEAS cohort, a multicenter nationwide database of consecutive patients diagnosed with sarcoidosis according to the ATS/ESC/WASOG criteria. Solid malignancies were classified using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision (ICD-10) nomenclature, and hematological malignancies using the 2016 WHO classification. We excluded patients with a biopsy-proven diagnosis of sarcoidosis based exclusively on demonstrating granulomas in tissues also involved by malignant cells.

RESULTS

Out of 1942 patients with sarcoidosis, 233 (12%) developed 250 malignancies, including solid (n = 173), hematological (n = 57), and both types of malignancies (n = 3). Concerning the time interval between the diagnoses of both conditions, 83 (36%) patients were diagnosed with malignancy at least 1 year before sarcoidosis diagnosis, 22 (9%) had s synchronous diagnosis of both diseases, and 118 (51%) developed malignancies at least 1 year after the diagnosis of sarcoidosis (the remaining cases developed malignancies in different time intervals). The multivariate-adjusted model showed that individuals with sarcoidosis who developed a malignancy had an hazard ratio (HR) of 2.27 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.62-3.17] for having an asymptomatic clinical phenotype at diagnosis of sarcoidosis and that spleen (presence vs. absence: HR = 2.06; 95% CI, 1.21-3.51) and bone marrow (presence vs. absence: HR = 3.04; 95% CI, 1.77-5.24) involvements were independent predictors for the development of all-type malignancies. No predictive factors were identified when the analysis was restricted to the development of solid malignancies. The analysis limited to the development of hematological malignancies confirmed the presence of involvement in the spleen (HR = 3.73; 95% CI, 1.38-10.06) and bone marrow (presence vs. absence: HR = 8.00; 95% CI, 3.15-20.35) at the time of sarcoidosis diagnosis as predictive factors.

CONCLUSION

It is essential to consider the synchronous or metachronous timing of the diagnosis of malignancies in people with sarcoidosis. We found that half of the malignancies were diagnosed after a diagnosis of sarcoidosis, with spleen and bone marrow involvement associated with a four to eight times higher risk of developing hematological malignancies. Key messages What is already known on this topic Malignancies are one of the comorbidities more frequently encountered in people with sarcoidosis What this study adds Malignancies occur in 12% of patients with sarcoidosis Malignancy may precede, coincide with, or follow the diagnosis of sarcoidosis One-third were identified before sarcoidosis, and half were diagnosed after Spleen and bone marrow involvement are risk factors for developing hematological malignancies How this study might affect research, practice or policy Patients with sarcoidosis should be regularly monitored for neoplasms, informed of the increased risk, and educated on early detection. Those with spleen or bone marrow involvement must be closely followed.

Hematological involvement in sarcoidosis: from cytopenias to lymphoma

INTRODUCTION

We present an updated overview of the hematological involvementassociated with sarcoidosis, including a management approach forcytopenias and revisiting the association with hematologicalmalignancies.

AREAS COVERED

Theetiology of cytopenias in sarcoidosis can be attributed to two majoretiopathogenic mechanisms: infiltration of hematopoietic organs suchas the spleen and bone marrow, and autoimmune-mediated cytopenias.With respect to the association with hematological malignancies, itrequires careful evaluation of patients from a chronologicalperspective. Patients must be classified into one of three pathogenicscenarios, including preexisting hematological malignancies,synchronous development of malignancy and sarcoidosis due to commonpredisposing factors, or sarcoidosis as a predisposing factor formalignancies.

EXPERT OPINION

The association between sarcoidosis and hematologic involvement isbest understood as a pathogenic continuum, with cytopenias andhematologic neoplasms intertwined due to various etiopathogenicmechanisms. These mechanisms include sarcoid infiltration ofhematopoietic organs, common predisposing immunogenetics for thedevelopment of autoimmune cytopenias and malignancies, and anincreased risk of neoplasm development in patients with autoimmunecytopenias. Collaboration among the main specialties involved in theclinical management of these patients is crucial for an earlymonitoring and management.

Clinical Characteristics of Sarcoidosis Patients with Self-Reported Lymphoma: A US Nationwide Registry Study

PURPOSE

Little is known about the association between sarcoidosis and lymphoma. We aim to determine the prevalence of lymphoma in US sarcoidosis patients and compare the clinical characteristics of patients with and without lymphoma.

METHODS

Using a national registry-based study investigating 3560 respondents to the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research Sarcoidosis Advanced Registry for Cures Questionnaire (FSR-SARC) completed between June 2014 and August 2019, we identified patients who reported the diagnosis of lymphoma following sarcoidosis and randomly selected a computer-generated control sample of sarcoidosis patients with no reported lymphoma with a 2:1 ratio.

RESULTS

Among 3560 patients with sarcoidosis, 43 (1.2%) reported developing lymphoma following their sarcoidosis diagnosis. Patients with lymphoma were more likely to be diagnosed with sarcoidosis at a younger age (median, IQR) 40 (27-50) vs 45 (34.8-56, p = 0.017) years, were more likely to be African-Americans OR 95% CI 3.9 (1.6-9.6, p = 0.002), and have low annual income (OR 2.7, 1.1-6.4 p = 0.026). The sarcoidosis-lymphoma group were more likely to have salivary gland (16% vs 5%, p = 0.026) (OR 4; 1.1-14.5) and cutaneous (46% vs 23%, p = 0.023) (OR 2.9; 1.1-7.3) sarcoidosis. They also reported more chronic fatigue (42% vs 23%, p = 0.029), chronic pain (37% vs 13%, p = 0.001), and depression (42% vs 22%, p = 0.019).

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of lymphoma reported in sarcoidosis patients is higher than the general population which further supports the possible increased risk of lymphoma in sarcoidosis. Diagnosis of sarcoidosis at a younger age, African-American race, cutaneous, and salivary glands sarcoidosis were associated with lymphoma. Sarcoidosis patients who developed lymphoma reported higher disease burden and more non-organ-specific manifestations.

Gastric Cancer with Multiple Lymph Node Enlargement at the Time of the Sarcoidosis Diagnosis

An 80-year-old woman was found to have a 40-mm depressed-type gastric cancer. Computed tomography showed multiple lymph node enlargement, including paraaortic lymph nodes. The extent of lymph node enlargement was significant compared with the depth of the primary lesion. We conducted distal gastrectomy, D2 lymph node dissection, and a paraaortic lymph node biopsy. Microscopically, the tumor was diagnosed as mucosal cancer. In the dissected lymph nodes, noncaseating granuloma was found without metastasis of adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining using Propionibacterium acnes-specific antibodies showed a large number of P. acnes-positive cells in the granulomas. Finally, the tumor was diagnosed as early-stage gastric cancer and sarcoidosis.

Sarcoidosis and maligancy: the chicken and the egg?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

There is a complex interaction between sarcoidosis and malignancy. Since tumors can elicit a granulomatous reaction, the presence of granulomas alone is insufficient to diagnose sarcoidosis in a patient with cancer. In addition, check point inhibitors can also lead to a granulomatous reaction which can be misdiagnosed as sarcoidosis. These issues need to be considered when exploring the relationship between sarcoidosis and malignancy. Despite these limitations, a growing amount of evidence supports the potential interaction of sarcoidosis and malignancy.

RECENT FINDINGS

Several large epidemiologic studies of patients from Europe, the USA, and Japan reveal an increased relative risk for cancer in sarcoidosis patients. The highest relative risks are seen in patients with lymphoma and breast cancer. New criteria have been developed to standardize the diagnosis of sarcoidosis, which should further clarify the association.

SUMMARY

The diagnosis of sarcoidosis may precede or occur after malignancy. In a sarcoidosis patient with an atypical lesion, such as a breast mass, a biopsy should be considered.

The Clinical Features of Patients with Sarcoidosis and Malignant Diseases in Japan

Objective Recent studies suggest a significant association between sarcoidosis and malignancy, although the results have remained controversial. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical features of patients with sarcoidosis associated with malignant diseases in Japan. Patients We conducted a medical record review of all sarcoidosis patients in Tohoku University Hospital between January 1, 1981, and May 31, 2017. Methods The clinical records and pathology reports for each patient were screened, and the clinical characteristics of malignancies as well as sarcoidosis were reviewed. Results A total of 52 (18.8%) patients with malignancy were identified among 277 patients with sarcoidosis. Among those 52 patients, we identified 62 with malignant diseases. These patients were older and more likely to be women than the remaining 225 (81.2%) sarcoidosis patients without malignancy. The most prevalent malignant disease was breast cancer (14 cases, 22.6%), followed by stomach cancer (8 cases, 12.9%) and lung cancer (7 cases, 11.3%). Among the 14 patients with both sarcoidosis and breast cancer, 8 (57.1%) were diagnosed with breast cancer before sarcoidosis. All of these eight cases had undergone surgical resection of the cancer. Conclusion This study showed a higher incidence of patients with both sarcoidosis and malignancy in Japan than in some western countries. Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignant disease. The high frequency of sarcoidosis after surgical resection of breast cancer may suggest a causative association between malignancy and the development of sarcoidosis.

Sarcoidosis and Cancer: A Complex Relationship

Sarcoidosis is a systemic disease of unknown etiology, characterized by the presence of non-caseating granulomas in various organs, mainly the lungs, and the lymphatic system. Since the individualization of sarcoidosis-lymphoma association by Brincker et al., the relationship between sarcoidosis or granulomatous syndromes and malignancies has been clarified through observational studies worldwide. Two recent meta-analyses showed an increased risk of neoplasia in sarcoidosis. The granulomatosis can also reveal malignancy, either solid or hematological, defining paraneoplastic sarcoidosis. Recent cancer immunotherapies, including immune checkpoint inhibitors (targeting PD-1, PD-L1, or CTLA-4) and BRAF or MEK inhibitors were also reported as possible inducers of sarcoidosis-like reactions. Sarcoidosis and neoplasia, especially lymphoma, can show overlapping presentations, thus making the diagnosis and treatment harder to deal with. There are currently no formal recommendations to guide the differential diagnosis workup between the evolution of lymphoma or a solid cancer and a granulomatous reaction associated with neoplasia. Thus, in atypical presentations (e.g., deeply impaired condition, compressive lymphadenopathy, atypical localization, unexplained worsening lymphadenopathy, or splenomegaly), and treatment-resistant disease, targeted biopsies on suspect localizations with histological examination could help the clinician to differentiate neoplasia from sarcoidosis. Pathological diagnosis could sometimes be challenging since very few tumor cells may be surrounded by massive granulomatous reaction. The sensitization of currently available diagnostic tools should improve the diagnostic accuracy, such as the use of more “cancer-specific” radioactive tracers coupled with Positron Emission Tomography scan.

Pulmonary sarcoidosis masquerading as metastatic cervical cancer: a pitfall in CT scans and positron emission tomography (PET)

Sarcoidosis has been associated with co-existing malignancies in several organs, including the breast and thyroid gland as well as lymphomas. However, the occurrence of sarcoidosis with cervical cancer is rare with only nine previous cases reported in the published literature. We present a case of pulmonary sarcoidosis imitating mediastinal lymph node metastases on the staging CT scan and positron emission tomography imaging. The presence of thoracic lymphadenopathy without any pelvic lymphadenopathy prompted histological confirmation of sarcoidosis on endobronchial ultrasound guided biopsy. Misdiagnosing pulmonary sarcoidosis as metastases would have precluded the patient from receiving the curative treatment and likely resulted in suboptimal outcomes.

Overlap Syndromes in Sarcoidosis: Clinical Features and Outcomes

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem inflammatory disease characterized by noncaseating granulomatous inflammation. While pulmonary sarcoidosis is most common, extrapulmonary involvement occurs in 50 to 74% of patients and can be the presenting abnormality in some patients. The diagnosis of sarcoidosis is based on a compatible clinical presentation in combination with granulomas on histology and exclusion of other causes. However, the absence of a diagnostic biomarker for sarcoidosis, in addition to the overlap of granulomatous inflammation and nonspecific clinical findings with other diseases, often results in a delayed diagnosis. Sarcoidosis overlap syndromes are typically described when sarcoidosis is diagnosed in the presence of another disease (concurrently or sequentially) with shared clinical and histologic features, or when sarcoidosis presents with clinical features typically observed in, but not diagnostic of, other diseases. Awareness of overlap syndromes is important for clinicians to avoid diagnostic errors and evaluate for concomitant diagnoses that may impact the management and outcome of sarcoidosis. This article is intended to provide an overview of these presentations and the most commonly associated diseases, with attention to their prevalence, clinical features, and reciprocal impacts on disease outcomes.

A comparison of the features of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) between IgG4-related disease with bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy and sarcoidosis

We aimed to show the differentiation of the degree and distribution on Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) between patients with immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) and sarcoidosis, though both diseases frequently show bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy (BHL). The clinical records were retrospectively reviewed in 25 patients with IgG4-RD with BHL and 15 patients with sarcoidosis (stage I–II) diagnosed at Shinshu University Hospital. All patients underwent FDG-PET at Aizawa Hospital from January 2004 to December 2015. The FDG accumulation pattern and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of the hilar lymph nodes were compared between the two groups. The IgG4-RD group (21 men; median age 69 years) showed a significant male predominance and older age compared with the sarcoidosis group (3 men, median age 55.4 years). The IgG4-RD group showed a significantly higher incidence of FDG accumulation in the lachrymal gland, submandibular gland, pancreas, prostate and periurethral and periarterial regions compared with the sarcoidosis group. In contrast, the sarcoidosis group showed a significantly higher incidence of FDG accumulation in the supraclavicular and abdominal lymph nodes, muscle and soft tissues compared with the IgG4-RD group. Furthermore, the SUVmax of the hilar lymph nodes was significantly higher in the sarcoidosis group (median 7.20) than in the IgG4-RD group (median 4.20, p=0.002). In conclusion, significant differences were observed in the FDG accumulation patterns and SUVmax values of the hilar lymph nodes between IgG4-RD with BHL and sarcoidosis, although both diseases develop through the lymphatic routes of the lungs and are frequently associated with BHL.

Paraneoplastic sarcoidosis: a review

BACKGROUND

Sarcoidosis is occasionally seen in association with malignancy, both at the time of cancer diagnosis or during follow up.

AIM

The purpose of this study is to identify patients with paraneoplastic sarcoid, their associated malignancies and disease characteristics.

METHODS

We identified 289 patients diagnosed histologically with sarcoidosis over a 6-year period in one centre, from 2010 to 2016. Fifty of these patients had a prior or concomitant diagnosis of cancer.

RESULTS

17.3% of sarcoid cases had an associated malignancy. The most common malignancies were Gastrointestinal (20%), Haematological (18%), Lung (12%), Gynaecological (12%) and Head and Neck cancer (12%). 74% of sarcoid cases had pulmonary disease with sarcoid diagnostic tissue obtained most frequently via endobronchial ultrasound fine needle aspiration (68%). Most sarcoid cases (66%) were diagnosed within the first year of their malignancy diagnosis.

DISCUSSION

Careful consideration needs to be given to the possibility that potential cancer recurrences suspected on imaging studies may indeed be sarcoid reactions.

Sarcoidosis and Multiple Myeloma: A Case Report and Literature Review

The existence of a sarcoidosis-lymphoma syndrome has been previously proposed since the relation between sarcoidosis and an increased risk of lymphoproliferative disorders is well established. Multiple myeloma is a malignant multifocal proliferation of clonal plasma cells within the bone marrow, and its association with sarcoidosis has been rarely described. We present a concurrent diagnosis of sarcoidosis and multiple myeloma and make a brief analysis of the reported cases in the literature. A 65-year-old woman underwent surgery for the excision of a wrist mass that presented 3 years before. Histological analysis showed sarcoid-type epithelioid granulomas without necrosis, establishing soft tissue sarcoidosis. Further evaluation revealed marked interstitial lung parenchyma lesions and large intrathoracic adenopathies. Bronchofibroscopy with transbronchial biopsy confirmed lung sarcoidosis. In addition, blood analysis showed monoclonal IgG kappa gammopathy. A bone marrow biopsy confirmed hypercellularity with 60% plasma cells and plasmocyte infiltration. Thus, the diagnosis of systemic sarcoidosis and multiple myeloma was established simultaneously. In a brief review of the literature, we identified 33 reports of cases with both sarcoidosis and multiple myeloma. We point out the importance of a high level of suspicion for the association of sarcoidosis with malignant haematological diseases such as multiple myeloma.

Sarcoid-Like Mediastinal Lymphadenopathy in Gynecologic Malignancy

Noncaseating granulomas are seen surrounding tumors with varying frequency, possibly as part of an immune response to tumor cells. However, data about the association of sarcoid with gynecologic malignancy is sparse. We performed a search of our institutional database for all EBUS-TBNA biopsies conducted within the past five years that revealed granulomatous inflammation. All adult female patients with a history of gynecologic malignancy were included. Patients with a history of sarcoidosis or fungal or mycobacterial infection were excluded. All patients with evidence of malignant cells on TBNA specimen were excluded. Our results revealed 65 patients with histologic diagnosis of a noncaseating granuloma on EBUS-TBNA. Five patients (7.69%) had a history of gynecologic malignancy. Two patients had evidence of PET-positive nodes on surveillance scans, which led directly to the examination. Our findings suggest that distant malignancies may cause granulomatous lymphadenitis, through yet undefined mechanisms. As such, patients with evidence of mediastinal lymphadenopathy could benefit from routine sampling and histologic examination to define the pathology in the correct clinical context.

Unusual case of splenic sarcoidosis without morphological lesions detected by PET-CT in a patient with breast cancer: functional imaging between pitfalls and therapeutic guide

A 60-year-old woman under treatment with letrozole for metastatic breast cancer underwent ¹⁸F-FDG PET-CT for restaging. A new widespread intense splenic FDG uptake without nodular lesions and multiple FDG-avid mediastinal and abdominal nodes were observed. Based on these findings, a nodal and transbronchial lung biopsy was performed. Histological results were compatible with sarcoidosis. The patient began steroid treatment and 6 weeks after a PET-CT showed normalisation of both splenic and nodal uptake. In our case, ¹⁸F-FDG PET-CT has been useful in detecting a rare case of splenic sarcoidosis without typical nodular lesions on CT images, impacting the patient’s treatment and prognosis.

Sarcoidosis imitating breast cancer metastasis: a case report and literature review

Sarcoidosis is a benign systematic granulomatous disorder of unknown etiology and is associated with various malignancies. However, granulomatous and metastatic lymph node lesions are difficult to distinguish even when using precise and modern diagnostic methods, such as positron emission tomography. Thus, histological verification is the only method that can be used to accurately describe the nature of this disease. In this article, we report a case of non-luminal HER-2/neu-positive breast cancer in a patient without history of sarcoidosis and suspected to have metastatic disease.

Pulmonary mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma associated with pulmonary sarcoidosis: a case report and literature review

Differentiating low-grade lymphoma from preexisting sarcoidosis is difficult because of their pathological similarity. This article describes a case of pulmonary mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma associated with pulmonary sarcoidosis. The patient, a 45-year-old Japanese man, presented with a 10-year history of pulmonary sarcoidosis and 5-year history of ocular sarcoidosis with histologic findings. Because only the right S3 lung nodule had gradually enlarged, partial resection was performed. Pathological study revealed noncaseous epithelioid granulomas with lymphoplasmacytic proliferation but also marked lymphoid cell proliferation with lymphoepithelial lesion findings that differed from findings of typical sarcoid lesions. Our lymphoepithelial lesion evaluation via immunohistochemistry and analysis of Ig heavy-chain gene rearrangements with assessment of Propionibacterium acnes-specific antibody reactions allow us to report, for the first time, this case of pulmonary mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma associated with pulmonary sarcoidosis in exactly the same location, which may be significant for differentiating these diseases and understanding their pathogenic association.

How are cancer and connective tissue diseases related to sarcoidosis?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Several studies have suggested an association between sarcoidosis and cancer, and between sarcoidosis and connective tissue diseases (CTDs). In this review, we discuss the evidence supporting and refuting these associations.

RECENT FINDINGS

In terms of a cancer risk in sarcoidosis patients, the data are somewhat conflicting but generally show a very small increased risk. The data supporting an association between sarcoidosis and CTD are not as robust as for cancer. However, it appears that scleroderma is the CTD most strongly associated with sarcoidosis.

SUMMARY

There are several important clinical and research-related implications of the association of sarcoidosis and CTDs. First, rigorous efforts should be made to exclude alternative causes for granulomatous inflammation before establishing a diagnosis of sarcoidosis. Second, the association between sarcoidosis and both cancer and CTDs may yield important insights into the immunopathogenesis of all three diseases. Finally, these data provide insight in answering a common question asked by sarcoidosis patients, 'Am I at an increased risk of developing cancer?' We believe that although there is an increased (relative) risk of cancer in sarcoidosis patients compared with the general population, that increased risk is quite small (low absolute risk).

Sarcoidosis and lymphoma: a comparative study

AIM

To assess the clinical features and outcome of lymphoma when associated with sarcoidosis and to determine whether this association gives lymphoma a better prognosis.

DESIGN

Multicentre retrospective cohort study.

METHODS

Retrospective chart review.

RESULTS

Twenty-one patients were included (9 males, 12 females). Median age at sarcoidosis diagnosis was 48 years (range: 24-68 years). In 14 cases, lymphoma occurred within a previously known sarcoidosis. Five patients received a concomitant diagnosis of sarcoidosis and lymphoma, whereas lymphoma preceded sarcoidosis in two patients. Three patients were diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and 18 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) (n = 11), follicular lymphoma (n = 2), chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (n = 2), anaplastic large cell lymphoma ALK + (n = 1), angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (n = 1) and T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (n = 1)). Thirteen patients were alive and in complete remission. Median age at the time of diagnosis of sarcoidosis was lower in patients with concomitant lymphoma compared with patients with sarcoidosis preceding lymphoma (34 years vs. 51 years, P = 0.01). Patients presenting with DLBCL associated with sarcoidosis were compared with DLBCL without sarcoidosis. No statistical difference was found in the risk of death or progression between the two groups (P = 0.685).

CONCLUSIONS

We report here the largest series of lymphoma associated sarcoidosis patients. As opposed to previous studies, we observed a predominance of patients with DLBCL. Our study confirms the concept of the sarcoidosis-lymphoma syndrome. Large B-cell lymphoma does not have a better prognosis when associated with sarcoidosis.

Sarcoidosis Occurring After Solid Cancer: A Nonfortuitous Association: Report of 12 Cases and Review of the Literature

The association between cancer and sarcoidosis is controversial. Some epidemiological studies show an increase of the incidence of cancer in patients with sarcoidosis but only few cases of sarcoidosis following cancer treatment have been reported. We conducted a retrospective case study from internal medicine and oncology departments for patients presenting sarcoidosis after solid cancer treatment. We also performed a literature review to search for patients who developed sarcoidosis after solid cancer. We describe the clinical, biological, and radiological characteristics and outcome of these patients. Twelve patients were included in our study. Various cancers were observed with a predominance of breast cancer. Development of sarcoidosis appeared in the 3 years following cancer and was asymptomatic in half of the patients. The disease was frequently identified after a follow-up positron emission tomography computerized tomography evaluation. Various manifestations were observed but all patients presented lymph node involvement. Half of the patients required systemic therapy. With a median follow-up of 73 months, no patient developed cancer relapse. Review of the literature identified 61 other patients for which the characteristics of both solid cancer and sarcoidosis were similar to those observed in our series. This report demonstrates that sarcoidosis must be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with a history of malignancy who have developed lymphadenopathy or other lesions on positron emission tomography computerized tomography. Histological confirmation of cancer relapse is mandatory in order to avoid unjustified treatments. This association should be consider as a protective factor against cancer relapse.

Sarcoidosis in gastric cancer at the time of diagnosis: A case report

Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic inflammatory disease that commonly affects the lungs and lymphatic system and is characterized by the formation of non-caseating granulomas. Although the association between sarcoidosis and malignant diseases has been well described, it remains controversial whether this association is merely a coincidence or the consequence of a common pathophysiological mechanism. The present study reports a rare case of sarcoidosis that was present in a patient with gastric cancer at the time of diagnosis. A 64-year-old female diagnosed with stage I gastric cancer underwent curative surgery, and the postoperative pathology of the lymph nodes revealed non-caseating granulomas. At the 4-year follow-up, the sarcoidosis remained stable, and no recurrence of cancer was identified. The present case revealed that sarcoidosis and gastric cancer may coexist simultaneously and focused on the potential advantages of histological confirmation in patients with cancer and sarcoidosis.

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome in a patient diagnosed with high grade inflammatory triple negative breast cancer: a case report of a potentially rare paraneoplastic syndrome

Background

Inflammatory breast cancer is a complex pathological entity associated with poor outcomes. This loco-regional disease is characterised by a rapid clinical course in the presence breast erythema and infiltration of dermal lymphatics by tumours cells. Herein we describe a case of inflammatory breast cancer with a rare presentation and disease course defined by a profound systemic inflammatory response in the absence of an infective cause.

Case presentation

The patient presented with pyrexia and malaise following a recent tissue diagnosis of inflammatory breast cancer. At the time of admission the patient demonstrated clinical features of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) in the presence of a negative septic screen. Her condition deteriorated despite systemic broad spectrum intravenous antibiotics and she underwent surgical debulking of a 180 × 135 × 100 mm (821 g) primary tumour composed of oedematous, friable and haemorrhagic tissue (pT4,N1a,M0; oestrogen/progesterone/HER-2 receptor negative). Following surgery, the clinical picture dramatically improved with cessation of SIRS and normalisation of inflammatory markers. After 4 weeks the patient required readmission to hospital due to recurrent SIRS and negative septic screen. The patient received treatment with systemic chemotherapy showing transient clinical improvement and suppression of SIRS. Despite on going chemotherapy, systemic antibiotics and a trial of steroid therapy the patient died 5 months after her initial presentation to hospital. At the time of death she demonstrated persistent SIRS with elevated inflammatory markers.

Conclusion

This is the first case report of inflammatory breath cancer associated with SIRS in the absence of clinically confirmed infection. Important learning points highlighted by this case are: (a) recognition of the diagnostic and therapeutic uncertainties that still exist in the context of inflammatory breast cancer; (b) appreciation of the potential paraneoplastic systemic inflammatory manifestations of this disease, and finally; (c) the importance a multidisciplinary and multimodal approach to treatment.