Metastatic cancer of the skin - Clinical and histopathologic study

Background: Metastatic skin cancer may have profound diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic significance. Objective: We studied patients with metastatic skin cancer to determine the relative frequencies of metastatic skin cancer according to the type and location of the primary tumor and the site of the cutaneous metastasis. Methods: We reviewed medical records and histologic materials of 68 patients with metastatic skin cancer in Catholic University Hospital from January 1991 to March 2001. Results & Conclusions: Of 61,218 patients with internal malignancy, 68(0.11%) had metastatic skin cancer. The mean age at diagnosis was 64.7 in male and 58.2 in female. Male to female ratio was 1:2.2. Breast carcinoma was by far the most common primary neoplasm resulting in skin involvement and accounted for 31(45.6%) of total cases and 63.8% of the cases in women. The most common clinical presentation is a nodule(26.5%) or multiple nodules(64.7%) although carcinoma erysipelatoides(4.4%) and carcinoma en cuirasse(4.4%) were also seen. Histopathologic examination most frequently revealed adenocarcinoma(70.6%) that was sometimes suggestive of the site of origin.