Epidemiological Profile of Patients of Aged 65 Years and Over in a University Private Hospital

Objectives: An increase in life expectancy is predicted for the general population and, by 2050, about one billion people will be older than 65 years. The Global Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence database estimates that 1.2 million people of this age will have cancer; this number represents 58% of new cases in the American population. This represents a challenge for diagnosis and treatment, given that some older people have multiple comorbidities and disabilities. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive study of 204 patients aged 65 years and over. All had a solid tumor that was diagnosed in a private hospital from January 2015 to December 2017. Results: The median age was 72.2 years; the most frequent age group (48.5% of patients) was 65–75 years, and only a small percentage (4.4%) were aged > 85 years. The most common type of cancer was lung cancer (22.5%), followed by colorectal and urinary cancer. Most patients received cancer treatment after the disease diagnosis. Conclusion: There are no epidemiological studies of the older oncology population in Mexico. We believe it is necessary to perform larger studies to understand this population and to undertake actions to facilitate greater attention to patient diagnosis, treatment, and alleviation

Searching for the Culprit: Metastases from a Cancer of Unknown Primary

We report a case of metastases from a cancer of unknown primary whose primary site could not be identified during the appropriate pretreatment evaluation. The patient was a 58-year-old woman with a history of passive smoking and with no history of cancer in the family. Her current condition started with asthenia, adynamia, and pallor, followed by palpitations. An abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) scan was performed, showing multiple osteolytic lesions distributed in all bone structures and axillary adenopathy on the left side. As part of the approach and given the high suspicion of multiple myeloma, tests were performed. The results were negative for multiple myeloma. A PET-CT scan was performed and showed left axillary adenopathy. The breasts and other organs were not affected. Left axillary lymph node resection revealed breast primary metastatic pleomorphic lobular carcinoma. Due to the metastatic disease (caused by the primary breast cancer), it was decided to start chemotherapy

Bone metastases as the initial presentation of hepatocellular carcinoma. Two case reports and a literature review

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary tumor of the liver and is the fifth most common cancer in the world; its incidence has been increasing in recent years. Extrahepatic spread is present at the time of diagnosis in only about 5 to 15% of patients. Skeletal metastasis of HCC occurs less frequently compared with other cancers and is considered a rare primary form of presentation. We report two cases of unsuspected HCC presenting with multiple bone lesions as the initial presentation. The first patient was a 76-year-old man with symptoms of fatigue and back pain. The PET-CT revealed the hypercaptant bone lesions and a liver lesion. The pathology report showed that the metastases were positive for the hepatic marker HEPAR-1, indicating that they had originated from the HCC. The second patient was a 56-year-old man. He presented to the emergency department for right shoulder pain and weakness of the entire right arm with no history of trauma. During hospitalization, the patient became quadriplegic. MRI revealed osseous blastic lesions in the cervical vertebrae and right shoulder. A CT-guided biopsy was performed in the cervical lesion and showed poorly differentiated carcinoma. Immunohistochemistry staining was positive for HEPAR-1. In conclusion, this cases show an unusual presentation of HCC with skeletal metastasis

Molecular Mechanisms Involved in MAFLD in Cholecystectomized Patients: A Cohort Study

Gallstone disease and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) share numerous common risk factors and progression determinants in that they both manifest as organ-specific consequences of metabolic dysfunction. Nevertheless, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying fibrosis development in cholecystectomized MAFLD patients remain inadequately defined. This study aimed to investigate the involvement of farnesoid X receptor 1 (FXR1) and fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) in the progression of fibrosis in cholecystectomized MAFLD patients. A meticulously characterized cohort of 12 patients diagnosed with MAFLD, who had undergone liver biopsies during programmed cholecystectomies, participated in this study. All enrolled patients underwent a follow-up regimen at 1, 3, and 6 months post-cholecystectomy, during which metabolic biochemical markers were assessed, along with elastography, which served as indirect indicators of fibrosis. Additionally, the hepatic expression levels of FGFR4 and FXR1 were quantified using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Our findings revealed a robust correlation between hepatic FGFR4 expression and various histological features, including the steatosis degree (r = 0.779, p = 0.023), ballooning degeneration (r = 0.764, p = 0.027), interphase inflammation (r = 0.756, p = 0.030), and steatosis activity score (SAS) (r = 0.779, p = 0.023). Conversely, hepatic FXR1 expression did not exhibit any significant correlations with these histological features. In conclusion, our study highlights a substantial correlation between FGFR4 expression and histological liver damage, emphasizing its potential role in lipid and glucose metabolism. These findings suggest that FGFR4 may play a crucial role in the progression of fibrosis in cholecystectomized MAFLD patients. Further research is warranted to elucidate the exact mechanisms through which FGFR4 influences metabolic dysfunction and fibrosis in this patient population