Cancer of unknown primary origin differential diagnosis

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: , Roukoz A. Karam, M.D.[2]

Overview

Cancer of unknown primary is a diagnosis of exclusion; hence, all other differentials in addition to primary tumor location must be ruled out prior to diagnosis.

Differentiating Cancer of Unknown Primary Origin from Other Diseases

• Cancer of unknown primary is a diagnosis of exclusion; hence, all other differentials in addition to primary tumor location must be ruled out prior to diagnosis.
• Cancer of unknown primary origin must be differentiated from other diseases that cause sudden weight-loss, fatigue, and loss of appetite, such as:

• Incidentaloma
• Anemia
• Tuberculosis
• Multiple myeloma