Squamous cell carcinoma complicating chronic venous leg ulceration: a study of the histopathology, course and survival in 25 patients

We have studied 25 cases of squamous cell carcinoma in chronic venous leg u lcers. Twenty-three of the patients were dead and two were alive. The mean age at cancer diagnosis was 78.5 years, The median survival was 1 year. Ele ven tumours were well-differentiated, 10 moderately and four poorly All pat ients with a poorly differentiated tumour died within a year. Metastases we re certain in eight cases. The disease was lethal in 10 cases which include d all poorly differentiated tumours, The survival of the study group was si gnificantly shortened compared with a control group of patients with lower limb non-melanoma skin cancer (n=433) from the Swedish Cancer Registry (P=0 .0084). When diagnosed, squamous cell carcinoma in chronic leg ulcers merit s a thorough investigation of the degree of differentiation and spread. Ass ertive treatment is indicated as poorly differentiated tumours and some mod erately differentiated tumours may be fatal.