Standardized incidence ratios and risk factors for cancer in patients with systemic sclerosis: Data from the Spanish Scleroderma Registry (RESCLE).

AIM: Patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) are at increased risk of cancer, a growing cause of non-SSc-related death among these patients. We analyzed the increased cancer risk among Spanish patients with SSc using standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and identified independent cancer risk factors in this population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Spanish Scleroderma Registry data were analyzed to determine the demographic characteristics of patients with SSc, and logistic regression was used to identify cancer risk factors. SIRs with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) relative to the general Spanish population were calculated. RESULTS: Of 1930 patients with SSc, 206 had cancer, most commonly breast, lung, hematological, and colorectal cancers. Patients with SSc had increased risks of overall cancer (SIR 1.48, 95% CI 1.36-1.60; P < 0.001), and of lung (SIR 2.22, 95% CI 1.77-2.73; P < 0.001), breast (SIR 1.31, 95% CI 1.10-1.54; P = 0.003), and hematological (SIR 2.03, 95% CI 1.52-2.62; P < 0.001) cancers. Cancer was associated with older age at SSc onset (odds ratio [OR] 1.22, 95% CI 1.01-1.03; P < 0.001), the presence of primary biliary cholangitis (OR 2.35, 95% CI 1.18-4.68; P = 0.015) and forced vital capacity <70% (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.24-2.70; P = 0.002). The presence of anticentromere antibodies lowered the risk of cancer (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.45-0.97; P = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: Spanish patients with SSc had an increased cancer risk compared with the general population. Some characteristics, including specific autoantibodies, may be related to this increased risk.

Recurrent Thrombosis With Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Antiphospholipid Syndrome: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The treatment of thrombosis in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) usually requires long-term anticoagulation with vitamin K antagonists. The effectiveness of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in APS has not been fully addressed. The purpose of this research was to analyze the efficacy (thrombotic event-free time) and tolerability (bleeding events) of DOACs in patients with APS. METHODS: We performed a descriptive analysis of a systematic review of data from patients with APS treated with DOACs reported in the literature, via EMBASE, PubMed, and the European League Against Rheumatism and American College of Rheumatology congresses. After systematic review, a meta-analysis of data from clinical trials was performed. FINDINGS: A total of 728 patients, accounting for 731 courses of treatment with DOACs, were identified. The majority (48.3%) presented with triple anti-phospholipid antibody positivity. The prevalence of thrombosis during DOAC treatment was 13.9%. Analysis of risk factors for recurrent thrombosis suggested that a higher mean (SD) number of prior thrombotic events (1.80 [0.87] vs 1.67 [1.45]; P = 0.012), history of combined arterial and venous thrombosis (27.3% vs 9.2% [P < 0.0001]; odds ratio [OR] = 3.72 [95% CI, 1.91-7.25]), previous treatment with LMWH (9.8% vs 1.1% [P = 0.04]; OR = 9.95 [95% CI, 1.08-91.97]), use of immunosuppressant treatment (41.7% vs 12.7% [P = 0.03]; OR = 4.9 [95% CI, 1.21-19.76]), and no reason to switch anticoagulant treatment other than patient's decision (32% vs 2.8% [P = 0.001]; OR = 16.24 [95% CI, 3.16-83.52]) were associated with a high risk for re-thrombosis. Meta-Analysis did not show statistically relevant difference in risk of thrombosis or bleeding comparing warfarin with DOACs. IMPLICATIONS: The findings from this systematic literature review and meta-analysis suggest that patients treated with DOACs and having risk factors such as history of recurrent thrombosis, a history of combined arterial and venous thrombosis, or a need for immunosuppressant treatment, may have higer ratio of thrombotic recurrence. There are limited data to inform decisions on the use of DOACs in patients with APS with different or no risk factors.

Lung carcinoma presenting as a solitary, painless frontal bone lump.

A 50-year-old patient, a smoker, was admitted to the hospital, with a solitary scalp lump. Subcutaneous lumps of the scalp are common but usually benign; however, the painless lump in our patient turned out to be a malignant osteolytic lesion of the skull. Frontal bone was involved, and the disease had spread to the dura. Neuroimaging showed osteolytic lesions involving the axial skeleton, skull and several vertebrae. MRI showed the involvement of the second cervical vertebra, which prompted us to start treatment with dexamethasone. Since the spinal cord was not involved, Oncologists decided not to start radiotherapy treatment until we had reached the final diagnosis. A frontal bone biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of lung carcinoma. Chest X-ray did not identify the pulmonary nodule, but CT scan revealed a 1 cm peripheral, spiculated, pulmonary nodule within a pathological parenchyma (severe diffuse pulmonary emphysema).