A Case of Salvage Operation in Radiation-Failed Squamous Cell Carcinoma Transformed from Bowen´s Disease

Abstract

Bowen's disease was first described by Bowen in 1912 as a precancerous dermatosis. It is believed that its main causes are exposure to UV and a history of arsenic ingestion. Bowen's disease are precursor lesions, 5 percent of which is believed to develop into squamous cell carcinoma. It is stated in the literature that those patients in whom invasive cell carcinoma develops, 13 per cent of the lesions metastasize and death eventually occurs in 10 per cent of them. Therefore, elective lymphadenectomy is rarely indicated and is usually reserved for recurrent, histologically aggressive, deeply invasive and large (greater than 2 cm) tumors. Deeply invasive tumors of the preauricular and mandibular area frequently require parotidectomy to provide an adequate deep margin, to remove the primary echelon lymph nodes and to protect the facial nerve. We report a case of salvage operation on squamous cell carcinoma that had transformed from Bowen's disease.