Last update:
01-Aug-2025

Dermatomyositis is an idiopathic inflammatory myopathy with skin findings and can occur in both adults and children. The link between dermatomyositis and oncology is well established and the occurrence of cancer in patients suffering from dermatomyositis depends on different factors: subtypes of dermatomyositis they suffer from, time of cancer appearance before or after the dermatomyositis diagnosis, patients' age, patients' gender, obesity and cancer subtypes. The profile of the patients who suffer from both dermatomyositis and cancer concerns mainly males aged over 60 with elevated creatine kinase (CK), high level of C-reactive protein (CRP), cutaneous vasculitis, and rapid onset; up to four weeks. The median time between the diagnosis of dermatomyositis and cancer does not exceed the period of one whole year or a maximum five years. Patients with dermatomyositis and patients with both dermatomyositis and cancer show different clinical features and laboratory parameters or the same in different frequencies. Screening tests and the detection of specific autoantibodies seem useful tools in malignancy diagnosis for patients suffering from dermatomyositis without putting themselves in unneeded danger.

Key words: Age, Dermatomyositis, Gender, Malignancy, Obesity, Oncology.