Revisiting the link between oropharyngeal dysphagia and cancer in autoimmune myositis: a descriptive study
Authors' conclusion
In patients ≥ 50 years with pure DM, severe oropharyngeal dysphagia is strongly associated with cancer, suggesting a paraneoplastic myopathy with an ineffective anticancer immune response.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with autoimmune myositis other than inclusion body myositis (IBM) seen in rheumatology in two university hospitals, January 2000 to December 2022
- Participants
- 10 / 22 / 9 / 9
- Exposure
- Pure dermatomyositis (DM) patients ≥50 years by muscle weakness / dysphagia category
- No muscle weaknessn = 10
- Proximal weakness alonen = 22
- Moderate dysphagian = 9
- Severe dysphagian = 9
- Outcome
- Cancer within 3 years of myositis diagnosis in relation to oropharyngeal dysphagia
- Follow-up
- 3 years
Methodological detailstwo university hospitals, medical records review
- Two university hospitals
- Medical records review
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Cancer in pure DM patients ≥50 years (n = 50)
P = 0.02 by two-sided Fisher's exact test
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Values |
|---|---|
| Share of objective oropharyngeal dysphagia cases by subtype | Pure DM 50% · Anti-MDA-5 syndrome and ASyS 8% |
| Cancers by subtype | Pure DM 27 events · denominator 33 · Scleromyositis 1 events · denominator 53 · Anti-MDA-5 syndrome and ASyS 0 events · denominator 62 |
- Share of objective oropharyngeal dysphagia cases by subtype: n = 40 dysphagia cases
- Cancers by subtype: n = 27/33 in pure DM as printed
Original publication
Revisiting the link between oropharyngeal dysphagia and cancer in autoimmune myositis: a descriptive study. Arthritis Res Ther. Published 13 November 2025. doi:10.
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