Cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas of the lower extremity: A distinct subset of squamous cell carcinomas

Background Some patients develop a disproportionate number of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) on their lower extremity (LE). Objective We sought to characterize the clinical features, treatment, and outcome in patients who develop multiple LE SCCs. Methods We identified 22 patients with 4 or more biopsy-diagnosed LE SCCs during a 4.5-year study period. The location, size, treatment, and clinical outcome of each LE SCC were recorded. Results Of the 22 patients studied, 18 were female. Of the 360 SCCs our patients developed, 260 (72.2%) were on the LE. The incidence of SCCs in these patients was nearly 7 times greater than the incidence of basal cell carcinoma in the same patients. Limitations The number of patients is small and limits definitive conclusions about prevalence of SCCs on the LE in the general population. Conclusions LE SCCs are a distinct subset of cutaneous SCCs and may have distinctive clinical features and biologic behavior requiring additional study.