Fragkandrea et al reported a number of physical findings that may be red flags identifying a pediatric patient with an underlying malignancy. These can help to identify a patient who may benefit from a more in-depth evaluation. The authors are from The Royal Marsden Hospital, Epsom and St. Helier NHS University Hospital, and Panagiotis and Aglaia Kyriakou Children’s Hospital in Athens.
Patient station: pediatric
Symptoms that may be red flags for an occult malignancy:
(1) persistent pallor
(2) unexplained fatigue
(3) generalized malaise
(4) protracted or unexplained anorexia
(5) anorexia with hepatomegaly and/or lymphadenopathy
(6) anorexia with significant and progressive weight loss
These findings are nonspecific but become more significant if other red flags are present.
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