Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia in a haematology–dermatology multidisciplinary clinic.

Keywords: B cell; carcinoma; chronic; leukaemia; lymphocytic; neoplasm metastasis; skin neoplasms; squamous cell EN B cell carcinoma chronic leukaemia lymphocytic neoplasm metastasis skin neoplasms squamous cell 291 295 5 05/12/23 20230501 NES 230501 INTRODUCTION Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia patients have a greater than a twofold increased risk of developing a second malignancy,[1] and of these second cancers, non-melanoma skin cancers are the most frequent.[[1]] Basal cell carcinomas account for approximately 80% of non-melanoma skin cancers in the general population.[2] However, in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, there is a reversal of this basal cell carcinoma: cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma ratio, consistent with reports in other immunocompromised states.[1] Given the increased risk of non-melanoma skin cancer in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia patients, combined dermatology and haematology clinics have been established to better manage these patients.[3] We aim to determine the features of metastatic squamous cell carcinoma in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia from six patients at a combined dermatology-haematology clinic in Australia. Of patients who had cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, six subsequently developed metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma; thus, the overall rate of metastatic squamous cell carcinoma in the chronic lymphocytic leukaemia cohort was 1.2% (6/517) and 10.3% (6/58) of the chronic lymphocytic leukaemia cases with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma was defined as metastasis to locoregional areas, including lymph nodes and in-transit (local cutaneous) metastases, metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas of unknown origin and distant metastases. [Extracted from the article]