Squamous Cell Carcinoma Arising in Burn Scar

Hong, S P; Lee, S S; Chae, J M; Chang, E S; Chung, C H

Abstract

Treves and Pack in 1930 estimated that about 2% of burn scars undergo malignant change and they found that these usually occurred in the extremities and scalp. Males outnumber females in a ratio of 3 to 1 in burn scar cancers and all races have developed such tumors. Lawrence in 1952 accepted only 99 cases of burn scar cancer in his review but it seems certain that these are considerably commoner than this figure would indicate. These cancers are usually squamous in type and almost always arise in large deep burn scars which were never grafted and were slow to heal. A few basal cell carcinomas have been reported in more superficial scars usually on the face or neck. A few cases of fibrosarcoma have been reported also but here the differential diagnosis of so-called spindle-cell squamous carcinoma is always present. Recently Sarma and Weilbaecher reported a case of squamous cell carcinoma arising in a burn scar in an amputation stump was reported. Authors experienced 13 cases of burn cancer and the clinico-pathologic charateristics were reviewed.