Published online Apr 15, 2024. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v16.i4.1204
Peer-review started: January 13, 2024
First decision: January 30, 2024
Revised: February 2, 2024
Accepted: March 6, 2024
Article in press: March 6, 2024
Published online: April 15, 2024
A literature review of 1104269 patients with cancer revealed that the incidence of multiple primary malignant tumors (MPMTs) ranged from 0.73% to 11.7%. In recent years, however, there has been a significant upward trend in the incidence of this phenomenon.
The overarching motivation of this investigation was to thereby determine whether the gastrointestinal tract is particularly susceptible to second or third primary cancers, and to aid in the early diagnosis of these lesions by clarifying any such tendency.
The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence, clinical features, treatment factors, prevalence, and prognosis of patients with MPMTs in the gastrointestinal tract treated in a single center.
The study analyzed 8059 patients with pathologically confirmed gastrointestinal malignant tumors between June 2011 and June 2020. Of these, 85 patients had MPMTs. The clinical features, treatment factors, prevalence, and prognosis of this latter cohort were analyzed.
The incidence of MPMTs in patients with gastrointestinal malignant tumors was 1.05%, including 83 double primary malignant tumors and two triple primary malignant tumors of which 67.06% were synchronous MPMTs (SMPMTs) and 32.94% were metachronous MPMTs (MMPMTs). The most frequent associations were found between the rectum colon cancers within the SMPMT category and the gastric-colon cancers within the MMPMT category.
MPMTs in the gastrointestinal tract have a high incidence and poor prognosis.
It is necessary to perform both gastroscopy and colonoscopy in patients with gastrointestinal tumors. Multidisciplinary comprehensive diagnosis and treatment may improve the diagnosis rate and treatment efficiency of MPMTs.