Eccrine Carcinoma Treatment & Management

  • Author: Anthony Wong, MD, FAAD; Chief Editor: Dirk M Elston, MD   more...
 
Updated: Mar 26, 2010
 

Medical Care

Experience and published data on eccrine carcinomas are very sparse. Radiation therapy has been used in select cases of eccrine carcinoma; chemotherapy has not been used extensively and presumably is lacking in efficacy.[14]

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Surgical Care

Mohs micrographic surgery is becoming the mainstay of therapy for eccrine carcinomas.[11] Specific surgical treatments administered (as described in isolated case reports) for a few eccrine carcinoma subtypes are detailed below.

  • Microcystic adnexal carcinoma (MAC): A review of the world literature, which included 13 previously unpublished cases, reported 73 cases of MAC treated with Mohs; 39 of these were followed for more than 2 years with only 4 recurrences (89.7% success rate).[15] A later review of 10 cases of MAC treated with Mohs reported disease free periods of 23.3 months, compared to one recurrence with standard surgical excision.
  • Eccrine porocarcinoma: In a review of 9 cases from 1986-1996, 8 were treated with wide excision and 1 was treated with radiotherapy (RT); only 1 of the excisional cases and the RT case recurred.[16]
  • Malignant eccrine spiradenoma: A few case reports exist of this tumor treated with wide excision with or without radiation therapy. However, long-term data are scant.
  • Aggressive digital papillary adenocarcinoma: Wide excision or amputation of the affected digit has been advised.
  • Primary cutaneous adenoid cystic carcinoma: A report on 8 patients treated with wide excision noted 3 recurrences (time period unspecified) with 1 patient lost to follow-up.
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Consultations

Surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, and radiation therapists may play roles in the treatment of patients with eccrine carcinoma.

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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Anthony Wong, MD, FAAD  Consulting Staff, Department of Dermatology, SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn, St Catherine's of Sienna, and Long Island Skin Cancer and Dermatologic Surgery, PC

Anthony Wong, MD, FAAD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology and American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Darren Keith Mollick, MD  Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Daniel Mark Siegel, MD, MS  Director, Procedural Dermatology Fellowship Program, Clinical Professor of Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, State University of New York Downstate

Daniel Mark Siegel, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology, American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology, American College of Physician Executives, American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, American Society for MOHS Surgery, and International Society for Dermatologic Surgery

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

R Stan Taylor, MD  Professor of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School; Director of Skin Surgery and Oncology Clinic, Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

R Stan Taylor, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology, American College of Mohs Surgery, American Dermatological Association, American Medical Association, American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Christian Medical & Dental Society, and Society for Investigative Dermatology

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Richard P Vinson, MD  Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Dermatology, Texas Tech University School of Medicine; Consulting Staff, Mountain View Dermatology, PA

Richard P Vinson, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology, Association of Military Dermatologists, Texas Dermatological Society, and Texas Medical Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Mary Farley, MD  Dermatologic Surgeon/Mohs Surgeon, Anne Arundel Surgery Center

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Glen H Crawford, MD  Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; Chief, Division of Dermatology, The Pennsylvania Hospital

Glen H Crawford, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Dermatology, American Medical Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society of USAF Flight Surgeons

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Dirk M Elston, MD  Director, Department of Dermatology, Geisinger Medical Center

Dirk M Elston, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

References
  1. Galadari E, Mehregan AH, Lee KC. Malignant transformation of eccrine tumors. J Cutan Pathol. Feb 1987;14(1):15-22. [Medline].

  2. Takata M, Hashimoto K, Mehregan P, et al. Genetic changes in sweat gland carcinomas. J Cutan Pathol. Jan 2000;27(1):30-5. [Medline].

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  5. Peterson CM, Ratz JL, Sangueza OP. Microcystic adnexal carcinoma: First reported case in an African American man. J Am Acad Dermatol. Aug 2001;45(2):283-5. [Medline].

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  9. Chiller K, Passaro D, Scheuller M, Singer M, McCalmont T, Grekin RC. Microcystic adnexal carcinoma: forty-eight cases, their treatment, and their outcome. Arch Dermatol. Nov 2000;136(11):1355-9. [Medline].

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  13. Penneys NS, Zlatkiss I. Immunohistochemical demonstration of ferritin in sweat gland and sweat gland neoplasms. J Cutan Pathol. Feb 1990;17(1):32-6. [Medline].

  14. Yeung KY, Stinson JC. Mucinous (adenocystic) carcinoma of sweat glands with widespread metastasis. Case report with ultrastructural study. Cancer. Jun 1977;39(6):2556-62. [Medline].

  15. Snow S, Madjar DD, Hardy S, et al. Microcystic adnexal carcinoma: report of 13 cases and review of the literature. Dermatol Surg. Apr 2001;27(4):401-8. [Medline].

  16. Lozano Orella JA, Valcayo Penalba A, San Juan CC, et al. Eccrine porocarcinoma. Report of nine cases. Dermatol Surg. Oct 1997;23(10):925-8. [Medline].

  17. Mehregan AH, Hashimoto K, Rahbari H. Eccrine adenocarcinoma. A clinicopathologic study of 35 cases. Arch Dermatol. Feb 1983;119(2):104-14. [Medline].

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  24. Harrist TJ, Aretz TH, Mihm MC Jr, Evans GW, Rodriquez FL. Cutaneous malignant mixed tumor. Arch Dermatol. Nov 1981;117(11):719-24. [Medline].

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  26. Mitsui H, Watanabe T, Jinnin M, Kadono T, Idezuki T, Tamaki K. Mucinous carcinoma of the skin could have either an eccrine or an apocrine origin. Br J Dermatol. Dec 2004;151(6):1285-6. [Medline].

  27. Murphy GF, Elder DE. Non melanocytic tumors of the skin. In: Atlas of Tumor Pathology. 3rd Series. Fascicle 1. Washington DC: Armed Forces Institute of Pathology; 1991.

  28. Wick MR, Swanson PE, Kaye VN, Pittelkow MR. Sweat gland carcinoma ex eccrine spiradenoma. Am J Dermatopathol. Apr 1987;9(2):90-8. [Medline].

  29. Yildirim S, Aköz T, Akan M, Ege GA. De novo malignant eccrine spiradenoma with an interesting and unusual location. Dermatol Surg. Apr 2001;27(4):417-20. [Medline].

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