Extrahepatic malignancy in chronic liver disease: report of six cases.
Six patients are described with chronic liver disease, 3 with primary biliary cirrhosis and 3 with chronic active hepatitis, all of whom developed malignant disease in organs other than the liver. Two malignancies were mixed histiocytic-lymphocytic lymphomas. All patients had received corticosteroid or azathioprine therapy. Specific lymphocyte counts and immunoglobulin and antibody determinations failed to reveal a consistent pattern of abnormality to recognize the patient at risk. Several diseases in which the immune responsiveness is disturbed seem to have this potentiality in common, especially if therapy that further alters immunological reactivity is given.
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003536:Cystadenocarcinoma / Q000139:chemically induced; D005260:Female; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000139:chemically induced; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000139:chemically induced; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D001379:Azathioprine