Ustekinumab does not increase risk of new or recurrent cancer in inflammatory bowel disease patients with prior malignancy.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: There is limited data on the rate of new or recurrent cancer in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and a history of prior or current malignancy who are initiated on biologic therapies. Furthermore, there is no data on this topic in patients using ustekinumab. METHODS: The retrospective study included 341 patients with IBD and a history of cancer who were subsequently treated with vedolizumab (VDZ; n = 34), ustekinumab (USK; n = 27), tumor necrosis factor α antagonists (anti-TNF; n = 99), or had no immunosuppressive therapy (control; n = 181). Cox proportional hazard models were developed to determine the independent effect of post-cancer immunosuppressive treatment on the occurrence of incident cancer. RESULTS: Over a median of 5.2 person-years of follow up, cancer recurrence occurred in only one patient on anti-TNF, while new cancers developed in one patient on VDZ, three patients on USK, and six patients on anti-TNF, corresponding to cancer rates of 0.4, 1.8, and 0.7 per 100 person-years, respectively. The rate of incident cancer in control patients was 2.4 per 100 person-years and included 18 new and 9 recurrent cancers. Compared with controls, a stepwise Cox proportional hazards model adjusting for significant covariates found no increased risk of incident cancer in patients receiving post-malignancy treatment with USK (hazard ratio [HR] 0.88; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.25-3.03), VDZ (HR 0.18; 95% CI 0.03-1.35), or anti-TNF (HR 0.47; 95% CI 0.20-1.12). CONCLUSION: Use of biologic therapy in IBD patients with a previous history of malignancy was not associated with an increased risk of new or recurrent cancer.

Autoimmune Hepatitis With Concomitant Pernicious Anemia: A Rare Association.

The co-occurrence of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and pernicious anemia (PA) is extremely rare. We present a case of a 70-year-old woman with AIH who presented for the evaluation of poor appetite and weight loss. Laboratory studies were significant for microcytic anemia, B12, and iron deficiency. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed diffuse gastric mucosal atrophy, and the pathology from the body of the stomach showed chronic gastritis. Additional testing was positive for parietal cell antibody and intrinsic factor blocking antibody, confirming the diagnosis of PA. To the best of our knowledge, there is only one documented case of AIH associated with PA.

Chronic Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction Due to Incidentally Found Thymoma.

Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction is a severe gastrointestinal tract disorder mimicking a bowel obstruction with no mechanical causes. Our patient presented with bowel obstruction symptoms, and a thymoma was incidentally found during the diagnostic workup. After failing conservative management, the patient underwent exploratory laparotomy that showed negative results for a mechanical cause of obstruction. Laboratory workup was suggestive of paraneoplastic syndrome, and the patient was started on steroids and pyridostigmine course with symptom resolution. Thus, in patients with chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction, paraneoplastic syndrome should be considered in the differential diagnosis.

A Rare Case of Metastatic Colon Cancer in a Patient With Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Tongue.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the colon, both primary and metastatic, are extremely rare malignancies. We present a case of a 60-year-old man with metastatic SCC of the tongue status after radiation and chemotherapy who presented with fatigue and melena. Colonoscopy revealed a 5 cm mass in the transverse colon. Pathology established the diagnosis of poorly differentiated SCC with p16 immunostaining, similar to biopsies from his initially diagnosed lingual cancer. To the best of our knowledge, there are no previously reported cases of primary SCC of the tongue metastasizing to the colon.

Colorectal surgery obesity-related morbidity during COVID-19.

Tocilizumab, a monoclonal antiinterluekin-6 receptor antibody, has been empirically used in the treatment of cytokine release syndrome associated with severe coronavirus disease 2019 infections. The efficacy and safety of these medications for these patients is unknown. The purpose of this report was to present a case of acute large bowel perforation in a morbidly obese patient with coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia who received empiric Tocilizumab. This case report analyzes the risks of acute large bowel perforation after using this medication empirically and discusses the appropriate management of this adverse event.