TREATMENT OF SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE SKIN WITH THE USE OG CRYOGENIC TECHNOLOGIES

• Published in: Sibirskiĭ onkologicheskiĭ zhurnal Vol. 19; no. 6; pp. 99 - 105
• Main Authors: Baykalova, O. I., Belyaev, A. M., Prokhorov, G. G., Radzhabova, Z. A.-G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Russian
• Published: Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk National Research Medical Center 31.12.2020
• Subjects: cryodestruction; cryogenic treatment; cytoreduction; squamous cell carcinoma of the skin
• ISSN: 1814-4861; 2312-3168
• DOI: 10.21294/1814-4861-2020-19-6-99-105

Background . The incidence of skin cancer has been steadily increasing worldwide. Squamous cell skin carcinoma (SCSC ) is the second most common form of epithelial cancer. Treatment of SCSC remains a challenge, and the 10-year survival rate does not exceed 20 % in patients with regional lymph node  metastases and 10 % in patients with distant metastases. The aim of the study was to evaluate the treatment outcomes in SCSC patients using modern cryogenic technologies. Material and Methods . Between 2013 and 2019, 64 patients with SCSC were treated at N.N. Petrov Research Center for Oncology (St. Petersburg, Russia). All patients were divided into two groups. Group I consisted of 32 patients who underwent cryosurgery. Group II comprised 32 patients who underwent conventional surgery. Results . No significant differences in the treatment outcomes between Group I and Group II patients were found. Cryosurgery has several advantages over other surgical modalities. The duration of surgery was shortened by an average of 54 %. Cryosurgery is less invasive than surgery; therefore, pain and bleeding are minimized. The procedure was well tolerated by all patients. According to the «VAS » scale, the intensity of the pain syndrome in the first day after surgery was 70 % lower in Group I than in Group II . In Group I patients, the length of hospital stay was shortened by 7–9 days (57 %), and postoperative complications were not observed. In Group II , local complications were noted in 3 (9.4 %) patients. Cryosurgery was proven effective in 40.6% of elderly patients with the Charlson Comorbidity Index of more than 7 points, to whom palliative therapy is usually recommended. Conclusion. Cryosurgery for patients with SCSC was safe and did not cause any negative impact on the immediate and long-term treatment outcomes. Cryosurgery is a method of choice in the treatment of patients with a comorbidity.