A study published by Zakhem et al in JAMA Dermatology outlined several potential factors that may increase the risk of poor outcomes—including local recurrence, nodal metastasis, distant metastasis, and disease-specific death—among patients with primary cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Tumor and patient factors contributing to poor outcomes were identified, and a few of these—such as lymphovascular invasion, desmoplasia, and immunosuppression—were determined to be associated with a higher risk of poorer outcomes, even though they are presently omitted from some guidelines. In addition, the researchers found patients who underwent Mohs micrographic surgery were at the lowest risk for nearly all poor outcomes.
May 24, 2023