Disseminated epithelial cancers-An autopsy analysis

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pathology
• Medical Science

Background:

• Cancer is a leading global cause of death from noncommunicable diseases.
• Despite advances in imaging, some cancers are diagnosed late or at autopsy due to dissemination.
• Epithelial cancers represent a significant portion of malignancies encountered.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the characteristics of disseminated epithelial cancers identified during autopsies.
• To categorize autopsy cases based on clinical diagnosis and primary cancer status.
• To understand the patterns and clinical implications of cancer dissemination.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective observational study analyzing autopsy cases over 5 years.
• Inclusion of patients with epithelial malignancies at a tertiary-care hospital.
• Categorization into: known primary, unknown primary, and undiagnosed malignancies.

Main Results:

• Dissemination was found in 57.9% of 114 epithelial malignancy cases.
• Lung and colorectal carcinomas were the most common primary cancers.
• Metastases to the lungs and liver were most frequent, with symptoms of metastasis presenting in 65.2% of patients.

Conclusions:

• Cancer dissemination remains a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality.
• Autopsy studies offer valuable retrospective clinical insights into cancer progression.
• Improved diagnostic approaches are needed to detect disseminated cancers earlier.