Cancer and hidradenitis suppurativa

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Oncology

Background:

• Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition.
• Patients with HS exhibit an elevated risk for various cancers, including hematologic malignancies, solid tumors, and specifically cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) arising within HS lesions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the association between hidradenitis suppurativa and cancer development.
• To identify risk factors, clinical presentations, and diagnostic considerations for HS-related malignancies.
• To discuss potential therapeutic strategies and prognosis.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies investigating HS and cancer.
• Analysis of risk factors, including smoking, lesion duration, and specific treatments.
• Examination of diagnostic challenges and differential diagnoses.

Main Results:

• Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common malignancy associated with HS, particularly in Caucasian men with long-standing, severe gluteal/perianal disease.
• Risk factors include smoking, prolonged HS duration, certain genodermatoses, and paraneoplastic syndromes.
• Human papillomavirus (HPV) may be implicated; prognosis is often poor due to metastasis and recurrence.
• HS lesions can mimic cutaneous metastases, and conversely, cancers can present as HS lesions.

Conclusions:

• HS patients require vigilant monitoring for malignancy, especially those with risk factors.
• Prompt evaluation of new, rapidly growing, or therapy-resistant HS lesions is essential for early cancer diagnosis.
• Further research is needed on HPV vaccination and novel targeted therapies for HS-related SCC.