It is not very common for cancers starting in an internal organ to spread to the skin. When cells from a cancer that began in an internal organ of the body spread to the skin doctors call it a cutaneous (skin) metastasis (spread to).

Medical studies estimate that less than 3% of patients (who die from internal cancer) have any spread of the internal cancer to the skin. Sometimes a spot or growth on the skin is the first sign a patient may have of an internal cancer. Sometimes properly diagnosing the new spot or growth on the skin as an internal cancer can buy the patient some time or even save a life. Not properly diagnosing the spot can unfortunately have the opposite effect.

Of course not all cutaneous metastases come from internal organs. For example, melanoma cancer that starts in the skin can spread to another portion of the surface skin as well as into the body.

Cutaneous metastases is one topic in dermatology where male and female differ greatly. Just look at the approximate values listed table:

 

 Organ of cancer origin

 % of skin metastases
(WOMEN)

  % of skin metastases
(MEN)
 Breast

 70

0
 Ovary

5

0
 Lung

5

25
 Large Intestine

10

20
 Oral cavity

-

10
 Kidney

-

5
 Stomach

-

5
 Malignant melanoma (skin & other)

5

15


Sometimes it is best to let a patient tell a story in order to bring the point home of just how important it is to find the cancer as soon as possible and have it diagnosed properly by a good dermatopathologist. The following is a letter from a patient (reproduced with permission):

 

Paul J. Weber, M.D., P.A.
5353 North Federal Highway, Suite 400
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308
Tel: 954-489-9800 | Fax: 954-489-0401

© 1997-2001, Paul J. Weber, M.D., P.A., All Rights Reserved