Increased Risk of Local Recurrence in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Arising in Sun-Exposed Skin: A Retrospective Cohort Study

    October 2023 in “ Cancers ”
    Ana Morelló‐Vicente, Marta Espejo-Marín, Inés Oteiza‐Rius, Javier Antoñanzas, Antonio Vélez, Rafael Salido‐Vallejo
    TLDR Skin cancer in sun-exposed areas is more likely to come back.
    This retrospective cohort study involving 558 patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) found that tumors in highly sun-exposed areas (head, neck, dorsum of hands) had a significantly higher rate of local recurrence (15.8%) compared to those in less sun-exposed areas (7.4%). No significant differences were observed in metastasis rates between the two groups. Independent risk factors for recurrence in low sun-exposure areas included tumor thickness and positive surgical margins. The findings suggest that cSCCs in highly sun-exposed regions may have a worse prognosis due to a higher likelihood of local recurrence.
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