[Malignant diseases as secondary findings in forensic autopsies]

In a study of 228 consecutive medico-legal autopsies, malignant disease was discovered in 19 cases. The malignant diseases are discussed as to their primary sites and histologic types, age groups in which they occurred, conditions with which they may have been associated, symptoms and signs which in some cases may have warned of malignant disease, and supposed reasons why the malignant diseases were not recognized while the deceased were still alive. It was found that undetected malignant diseases occur mainly in the elderly, that chronic renal disease with scarred kidneys and cirrhosis of the liver may be predisposing conditions in cancer development, and that malignant disease in the aged may be undetected because of confusion with general weakness or because of small size and obviously slow growth of the tumor with lack of symptoms.