Seborrheic keratoses and cancer

Area of Science:

• Dermatology and Oncology
• Clinical Research

Background:

• The sign of Leser-Trélat, characterized by the sudden eruption of seborrheic keratoses, is traditionally considered a marker for internal malignancy.
• This association has been debated in clinical practice and research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential association between malignant diseases and the sign of Leser-Trélat in a large cohort.
• To evaluate the risk of internal cancer in patients presenting with eruptive seborrheic keratoses.

Main Methods:

• A population-based study involving 1752 consecutive cases of seborrheic keratoses.
• Utilized the Swedish Cancer Registry to assess malignancy diagnoses in relation to seborrheic keratosis diagnosis.
• A case-control study was conducted to compare the prevalence of the sign of Leser-Trélat in cancer patients versus non-cancer controls.

Main Results:

• A slightly increased overall cancer risk was observed (relative risk = 1.2), primarily due to a higher incidence of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.
• In patients with seborrheic keratoses and a malignancy diagnosed within one year, only a small proportion (6 out of 62) possibly presented with the sign of Leser-Trélat.
• The prevalence of the sign of Leser-Trélat was similar in both cancer patients and age/sex-matched controls without cancer.

Conclusions:

• The study provides no evidence to support the hypothesis that eruptive seborrheic keratoses are a reliable indicator of internal cancer risk.
• The findings suggest that the sign of Leser-Trélat may not be a significant predictor of underlying malignancy.