Summary Background Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) is the second most frequent cancer in humans after basal cell carcinoma, and its incidence is dramatically rising. CSCC is rarely problematic, but given its high frequency, the absolute number of complicated cases is also high. It is necessary to identify molecular markers in order to recognize those CSCCs with poor prognosis. There is controversy concerning the role of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) as a marker of prognosis in CSCC. In addition, EGFR‐targeted therapies have emerged in recent years and a better understanding of the role of EGFR in CSCC may be of help for some patients in predicting prognosis and guiding curative management. Objectives To evaluate the role of EGFR as a prognostic factor in CSCC. Methods We evaluated clinical and histopathological features, including events of poor clinical evolution, in a series of 94 cases of CSCC. We also analysed EGFR expression by immunohistochemistry, fluorescent in situ hybridization and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results We detected EGFR in 85 cases (90%), with overexpression in 33 cases (35%), and aberrant EGFR expression in the cytoplasm in 50 cases (53%). EGFR overexpression in the primary tumours was associated with lymph node progression, tumour–nodes–metastasis stage progression and proliferation (Ki‐67 staining) in CSCC. EGFR overexpression and poor grade of differentiation were the strongest independent variables defining lymph node metastasis and progression in CSCC in a logistic regression model. Conclusions We demonstrate that EGFR overexpression has prognostic implications associated with lymph node metastasis and progression in CSCC.

No abstract

No abstract

Non-Melanoma skin cancer is one of the most frequent types of cancer. Early detection is encouraged so as to ensure the best treatment, Hyperspectral imaging is a promising technique for non-invasive inspection of skin lesions, however, the optimal wavelengths for these purposes are yet to be conclusively determined. A visible-near infrared hyperspectral camera with an ad-hoc built platform was used for image acquisition in the present study. Robust statistical techniques were used to conclude an optimal range between 573.45 and 779.88 nm to distinguish between healthy and non-healthy skin. Wavelengths between 429.16 and 520.17 nm were additionally found to be optimal for the differentiation between cancer types.

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma is the second most widespread cancer in humans and its incidence is rising. These tumours can evolve as poor-prognosis diseases, and therefore it is important to identify new markers to better predict its clinical evolution. Here, we identified the expression pattern of miRNAs at different stages of skin cancer progression in a panel of murine skin cancer cell lines. We determined that miR-203 and miR-205 are differentially expressed in this panel, and evaluated their potential use as biomarkers of prognosis in human tumours. MiR-205 was expressed in tumours with pathological features recognized as indicators of poor prognosis such as desmoplasia, perineural invasion and infiltrative growth pattern. MiR-205 was mainly expressed in undifferentiated areas and in the invasion front, and was associated with both local recurrence and the development of general clinical events of poor evolution. MiR-205 expression was an independent variable selected to predict events of poor clinical evolution using the multinomial logistic regression model described in this study. In contrast, miR-203 was mainly expressed in tumours exhibiting the characteristics associated with a good prognosis, was mainly present in well-differentiated zones, and rarely expressed in the invasion front. Therefore, the expression and associations of miR-205 and miR-203 were mostly mutually exclusive. Finally, using a logistic biplot we identified three clusters of patients with differential prognosis based on miR-203 and miR-205 expression, and pathological tumour features. This work highlights the utility of miR-205 and miR-203 as prognostic markers in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

No abstract

Mitotic rate is no longer considered a staging criterion for thin melanoma in the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer Staging Manual. The aim of this observational study was to identify prognostic factors for thin melanoma and predictors and prognostic significance of sentinel lymph node (SLN) involvement in a large multicenter cohort of patients with melanoma from nine tertiary care hospitals. A total of 4249 consecutive patients with thin melanoma diagnosed from January 1, 1998 to December 31, 2016 were included. The main outcomes were disease‐free interval and melanoma‐specific survival for the overall population and predictors of SLN metastasis ( n = 1083). Associations between survival and SLN status and different clinical and pathologic variables (sex, age, tumor location, mitosis, ulceration, regression, lymphovascular invasion, histologic subtype, Clark level, and Breslow thickness) were analyzed by Cox proportional hazards regression and logistic regression. SLN status was the most important prognostic factor for melanoma‐specific survival (hazard ratio, 13.8; 95% CI, 6.1‐31.2; P < 0.001), followed by sex, ulceration, and Clark level for patients who underwent SLNB. A mitotic rate of >2 mitoses/mm 2 was the only factor associated with a positive SLN biopsy (odds ratio, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.22‐7; P = 0.01. SLN status is the most important prognostic factor in thin melanoma. A high mitotic rate is associated with metastatic SLN involvement. SLN biopsy should be discussed and recommended in patients with thin melanoma and a high mitotic rate.

One important differential diagnosis of facial erythema in a patient receiving an allogeneic bone marrow transplant (BMT) is acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Demodex folliculorum has been rarely implicated in the development of facial rashes in immunosuppressed patients, including BMT recipients. We report the case of a patient, suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia, who after bone marrow transplantation developed a facial rash due to D. folliculorum mimicking GVHD. Differential diagnosis of facial rashes and demodicidosis after BMT is reviewed.