Number of S-ITM lesions predicts relapse in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

In patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) presenting with satellitosis or in-transit metastasis (S-ITM), the size and the number of S-ITM lesions are associated with a higher risk of relapse, while the number of S-ITM confers an increased risk of specific death, reveals a study.

“S-ITM has clinical outcomes comparable to node-positivity in cSCC,” said the authors, noting the need to stratify the risk groups.

This retrospective, multicentre cohort study was conducted to determine which prognostic factors of S-ITM were associated with an increased risk of relapse and cSCC-specific death. The authors included 111 patients with cSCC who developed S-ITM and performed multivariate competing risk analysis to identify factors that contribute to relapse and specific death.

Of the cSCC patients with S-ITM, 86 were included in the final analysis. An S-ITM size of ≥20 mm (subhazard ratio [SHR], 2.89, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.44‒5.83; p=0.003), more than five S-ITM lesions (SHR, 2.32, 95 percent CI, 1.13‒4.77; p=0.021), and a primary tumour deep invasion (SHR, 2.863, 95 percent CI, 1.25‒6.55; p=0.013) all conferred an increased cumulative incidence of relapse.

In addition, having more than five S-ITM lesions tended to increase the risk of cSCC-specific death (SHR, 3.48, 95 percent CI, 1.18‒10.2; p=0.023).

“These results provide new prognostic information and can be considered in the staging guidelines,” the authors said.