RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Upper gastrointestinal cancer carries a poor prognosis. Although the incidence of gastric adenocarcinoma is falling, oesophageal adenocarcinoma is increasing. This has been attributed to an increasing prevalence of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, commonly treated empirically in primary care with antisecretory drugs. Treatment has been associated with delayed diagnosis but it is unclear if this influences prognosis. AIMS: To ascertain the effect of antisecretory drugs on time to diagnosis, symptoms, tumour stage and outcome. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of primary care records for 747 patients diagnosed with upper gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma at South Tees NHS Trust between 1991 and 2001. RESULTS: Mean time from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis was 30 weeks. Mean and median times at the primary care stage were longer than at the hospital stage for both oesophageal and gastric cancer (P < 0.0001). Patients with benign symptoms prescribed antisecretory drugs were referred later than those not on antisecretory drugs (P < 0.0001), as were patients with alarm symptoms (P = 0.0008). Prior use of antisecretory drugs delayed diagnosis by 17.6 weeks (mean) but had no effect on tumour stage at diagnosis or survival. CONCLUSION: Prior antisecretory drug therapy was associated with delayed diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma irrespective of presenting symptoms. Concerns that delays might adversely affect tumour stage or long-term survival were not substantiated.
Asunto(s)
Adenocarcinoma/tratamiento farmacológico , Neoplasias Esofágicas/tratamiento farmacológico , Fármacos Gastrointestinales/uso terapéutico , Neoplasias Gástricas/tratamiento farmacológico , Adulto , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Estudios de Cohortes , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Derivación y Consulta , Estudios RetrospectivosRESUMEN
We report a case of a 34-year-old woman, presenting initially with anaemia followed by sacro-iliac pain, and subsequently found to have necrotizing fasciitis complicating Crohn's disease where the organisms were introduced via a fistulous tract. It is perhaps surprising that this is not a more common complication of fistulating Crohn's disease, but we believe this is the first case report of this particular complication.
