[Scar tissue cancer: observations and results of 23 cases]

The scar tissue carcinoma is a rare disease which arises from the floor of unstable scars, chronic fistulae, ulcera and radiation injuries. The clinical pictures of 23 cases between 1976 and September 1990 have been elucidated. Compared to earlier findings it must now be stated that the development of cancer in stasis ulcera is more frequent than in burn scars or X-ray cancer. Generally, the number of scar tissue carcinomas seems to decrease. Since surgical and adjuvant therapies are--like in any other cancers--limited, prevention and early diagnosis have become of major importance. Though the cancer grows mainly on the body surface and could, therefore, be easily recognised, we still found tumours of remarkable dimension and disturbance, which were either shown to the physician too late or remained unrecognised by the diagnostician.