Metastatic Basal Cell Carcinoma from Head and Neck Primary Lesions

Abstract

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common cutaneous neoplasm and involves the head and neck in more than 85% of cases. Metastatic lesions occur in less than 0.1% of cases. In this report, four cases of metastatic basal cell carcinoma of the head and neck are presented. Previous reports indicate that metastases typically arise from long-standing, large and deep locally invasive lesions that are refractory to surgical or radiation therapy. Although three of the four cases follow this pattern, one case demonstrates that a small but rapidly enlarging lesion also has the potential for metastasis. The relationship of metastasis to tumor growth, histologic subtype, and host immune function is discussed.