Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer and Cutaneous Melanoma of the Hand and the Upper Extremity

A vast array of tumors can occur on the skin. Recent data demonstrated that more than two million of new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed annually [1]. Areas of sun exposure are more prone to develop numerous nonmelanoma skin cancers. The skin of the upper extremity and the hand is not an exception. It is known that the hand represents 1–2% of the total body surface. However, skin cancers involving this area account for 10–15% of all cases of skin malignancies [2, 3]. Unfortunately, there is a poor documentation of their natural history [4–6]. An explanation could be that either heterogeneous groups of soft tissue and cutaneous hand tumors or only specific skin cancers (e.g., squamous cell carcinomas) have been considered in the published series [7–12]. It is important to notice that the skin of the hand disposes a unique structure and is highly specialized allowing mobility for complex motor skills along with fine sensibility and resistance to withstand tearing and wearing forces. In addition the subcutaneous tissue is thin covering and protecting functionally important deeper structures. Subsequently, any therapeutic attempt necessitates a special consideration in this area counterbalancing sometimes two contradictory issues: tumor eradication and preservation or function restoration.