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The following is a summary of “Oncologic outcomes for invasive squamous cell carcinoma with a clinically resolved biopsy site managed by watchful waiting: A retrospective cohort study,” published in the December 2024 issue of Dermatology by Boudreaux et al.
Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma is primarily treated surgically, with limited research on the oncologic outcomes of tumors managed by watchful waiting following apparent resolution after biopsy site healing.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to describe the oncologic outcomes for patients diagnosed with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, clinically resolved at follow-up and managed by watchful waiting.
They included pathology-proven cases of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma diagnosed between 1/1/2013 and 4/31/2023. Each case required documented clinical resolution at least 4 weeks post-biopsy, management by watchful waiting, and a minimum of 12 months of follow-up.
The results showed that among 148 tumors managed by watchful waiting, 2 cases of local recurrence were observed, with no occurrences of nodal metastasis, distant metastasis, or disease-specific mortality. The log-rank test revealed a significant risk of recurrence in immunocompromised individuals (HR) = 12.87, P = 0.0193) and those with rheumatologic disease (HR = 16.18, P = 0.0075).
Investigators concluded the recurrence rate was lower than reported rates for surgically managed cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, suggesting that watchful waiting might be a viable option for select low-risk lesions that appear clinically resolved after biopsy site healing.
Source: jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(24)03385-1/abstract
