Extra-Anogenital Giant Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinomas

TL;DR

This study examines rare giant cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas, focusing on their characteristics, risk factors, and treatment approaches to improve clinical outcomes.

Contribution

The paper provides a retrospective analysis of seven extra-anogenital giant cSCC cases, highlighting treatment strategies and risk factors.

Findings

Most patients were male with an average age of 80.29 years.

UV radiation was the most common risk factor among the cases.

Surgical excision was the primary treatment, with some cases using immunotherapy.

Abstract

Extra-anogenital giant cSCCs are rare but have worse outcomes compared to smaller tumors. Prompted by limited data, the authors conducted a retrospective study to gather more information about giant cSCCs to optimize clinical care. We identified seven cases of giant cSCCs from a review of cSCC cases treated in the Unit of Dermatosurgery between 2016 and 2022. Most patients were male (85.71%) with a mean age of 80.29 ± 12.22 years. UV radiation was the most common risk factor (five cases) followed by smoking (three cases) and hidradenitis suppurativa (one case). Most giant cases were located in the head area (71.4%) and the diameter of lesions ranged from 6 to 18 cm. All patients corresponded to tumor stage T3, and 42.86% of patients had lymph node metastases. Surgical excision was the treatment of choice in most cases (85.71%), while a combination of cemiplimab and RP1 was used in some cases due to the ineffectiveness of treatment or contraindications to other therapies. The authors emphasize the importance of early detection and prevention of modifiable risk factors, such as UV radiation, and a multidisciplinary approach to treatment. Other therapies, including immunotherapy, may become increasingly important.

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