Special Concern About Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Scalp in Organ Transplant Recipients

Skin cancer in solid organ transplant recipients: Advances in therapy and management

“…32 The management of high-risk SCC involves an evaluation of metastatic potential, early aggressive surgical treatment, reduction of immunosuppression, and possible adjuvant radiation therapy of the operative site and draining nodes. 31,33 Key factors determining the risk of metastasis or local recurrence were recently published in a prospective review by Brantsch et al 34 All resected tumors underwent complete histologic examination of the 3-dimensional excision margins (3D histology) using the paraffin technique. The primary endpoints in this study were time to metastasis and time to local recurrence, defined as the time from date of diagnosis of the primary tumor to the date of diagnosis of metastasis or local recurrence.…”

Mohs Surgery for Squamous Cell Carcinoma

“…3,24,30 Some investigators think location on the scalp should be included, given particular surgical difficulties in this area (see later discussion of SCC on the scalp). 32,34 Poor outcomes may also be influenced by older age, 24 presence of extracutaneous tumors, 35 and history of occupational sun exposure. 14 Lee and colleagues 36 found with head and neck NMSC that the 3 most important factors predicting poor outcomes were recurrent lesions, lesions involving nerve, and lesions involving bone.…”

“…3). 34 for 2 reasons. The first is that the scalp, especially in some male transplant recipients, is more likely to have field disease (see later discussion of extensive field disease) with extensive, confluent actinic keratoses and intervening SCC.…”

“…32,34 In the scalp, loose connective tissue separates the fronto-occipital aponeurosis from the pericranium, and tumor may spread easily along this plane, especially if it Fig. 3.…”

Dermatology as she is spelled: Desiccate

“…Sometimes the correct spelling coexists with the incorrect spelling in the same article, 1 or more than one error is found within the same issue. 2,3 There is one (and only one) s in desiccate, according to Leider and Rosenblum. 6 A two-s version does not appear as an alternate.…”