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Updated: Jun 21, 2026
12:07
Laparoscopic Radical Antegrade Modular Pancreatosplenectomy via Dorsal-Caudal Artery Approach for Pancreatic Neck-Body Cancer
Published on: November 18, 2022
Cancer emergencies: the acute abdomen
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, CDW-EM, Portland, OR 97239, USA. ilgenj@ohsu.edu
Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America
|August 4, 2009
Summary
Patients with cancer often experience abdominal pain due to malignancy or its treatments. Understanding these unique presentations is crucial for accurate diagnosis and management in emergency settings.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Gastroenterology
- Emergency Medicine
Background:
- Gastrointestinal issues and abdominal pain are common in cancer patients presenting to emergency departments.
- Cancer itself, treatments, or other pathologies can cause these symptoms.
- Immunosuppression in cancer patients can alter clinical presentations and disease progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discuss the differential diagnosis of acute abdomen in cancer patients.
- To highlight how concurrent malignancy influences diagnostic considerations.
Main Methods:
- Review of common causes of acute abdomen in cancer patients.
- Discussion of how cancer and immunosuppression affect clinical presentation and diagnosis.
Main Results:
- Abdominal pain is a frequent complaint, with diverse origins in cancer patients.
- Clinical examination can be unreliable due to immunosuppression.
- Differential diagnosis must account for the underlying malignancy and its treatments.
Conclusions:
- Accurate diagnosis of acute abdomen in cancer patients requires understanding the impact of malignancy and immunosuppression.
- Clinicians must consider a broad differential, acknowledging the limitations of physical exams in this population.
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