Magic mushroom: all is not as it seems

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiation Oncology
• Dermatology

Background:

• Late adverse effects of radiotherapy stem from microvascular injury or cell depletion.
• Squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal is a malignancy requiring radiation therapy.

Observation:

• A patient treated for anal canal squamous cell carcinoma developed a large perianal lesion.
• The lesion was initially suspected to be a local recurrence of the malignancy.

Findings:

• Biopsy results confirmed the lesion was not malignant.
• The lesion was identified as a benign reactive process, a consequence of prior radiotherapy.

Implications:

• This case underscores the importance of differential diagnosis in post-radiotherapy complications.
• Recognizing benign reactive lesions prevents misdiagnosis of cancer relapse, avoiding unnecessary aggressive treatment.