Sweat gland cancer is rare

On October 1, Doctor Nguyen Canh Tung, Department of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Central Dermatology Hospital, said that the patient came for examination with a tumor appearing on the occipital scalp, with erosion. ulcers, pain.

The patient said the damage appeared from a young age, about the size of a finger tip. A few years ago, the lesion rapidly increased in size, changed morphology with oozing ulcers, but the patient did not receive treatment.

Through clinical examination, doctors suspected that the lesion was not benign so they ordered a histopathological test to determine the nature of the tumor. Surgical results detected sweat gland cancer (Eccrine Porocarcinoma).

The patient underwent wide excision surgery and reconstruction of the defect using skin grafting. After surgery, the patient was stable and was discharged from the hospital and had monthly follow-up visits.

Sweat gland cancer is a disease caused by excessive and uncontrolled growth of sweat glands, with the ability to invade surrounding tissue and metastasize. The disease originates from the adnexal structures of the skin, initially small spots, progressing very slowly over a long period of time and then suddenly increasing in size.

This is a rare disease, accounting for only about 0.05% of skin cancers, with a high degree of malignancy, and is common in ages 50-70 years old. To date, the cause of sweat gland cancer is still being researched, however, a number of factors are considered such as exposure to ultraviolet rays, immunodeficiency…

Symptoms of the disease are easily confused with other benign and malignant skin diseases. Some signs such as common cancer locations are the head, face, and neck areas; appears solitary, hard, firm; size about 1-5 cm; Lesions may have surrounding vasculature or ulceration on the surface.

The doctor said that treatment of the disease is still difficult because there are no specific instructions, and the recurrence rate after surgery is very high. Early diagnosis is important because the prognosis for survival 5 years after surgery is low.

According to research around the world, surgery is the top recommended treatment method, but patients need to be monitored for regular follow-up examinations to detect early signs of recurrence. In addition, early diagnosis is extremely important to limit the aggressiveness of the tumor.

Experts recommend that when small tumors or unusual changes appear on the skin, patients should go to specialized centers early for timely diagnosis. In addition, in daily activities, you should wear a mask when going out. In hot weather, you should wear sunscreen and glasses. Limit your time in the sun from about 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.