Dermatomyositis and cancer in Singapore

Of 12 patients with adult dermatomyositis studied, 5 (41%) had associated malignancies, of which 3 were nasopharyngeal carcinomas. The youngest was a 23-year-old woman. In view of the high incidence of cancer and the predominance of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, malignancy evaluation in Chinese patients from the Far East, 20 years of age or older with dermatomyositis should have extended workups for postnasal cancer. Two patients who had positive antinuclear not have associated cancers. Three patients died of acute myocardial infarction.