Carcinoma of scrotum

Twelve patients with carcinoma of the scrotum were evaluated: 9 with squamous carcinoma and 3 with basal cell carcinoma. The presenting complaint was a visible skin lesion; the interval between awareness of this lesion and diagnosis averaged 3.3 years. Three of the 12 patients were black, although this disease previously has been considered rare in blacks. No occupation predominated among the patients in this series, and scrotal carcinoma today may occur as a result of nonspecific factors such as poor hygiene and chronic irritation, rather than industrial exposure. Only 5 of 12 patients were disease-free after treatment; 5 of the others died of squamous carcinoma, 1 died of a postoperative complication, and 1 was lost to follow-up. The most significant correlative with survival was stage at initial diagnosis, indicating the need for a high index of suspicion regarding lesions of the scrotum.