PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF HISTOLOGIC SIGNS IN SQUAMOUS-CELL SKIN-CANCER OF BODY AND EXTREMITIES

One hundred sixteen cases of squamous cell skin cancer were studied: 83 male and 33 female patients, with their age range being 21-73 yr (mean 50.1 .+-. 4.3 yr.). Extremities were the most common localization. The aim of the work was to clarify the correlation between morphologic features and clinical course of the disease. Six out of 14 histologic features studied have demonstrated statistically significant correlation with clinical course. They are: I) tumour margins; II) form of tumour structures; III) the size of tumour invasion; IV) the presence of tumour cells in the vessels; V) the degree of lymphoplasmocytic infiltration; VI) maximal number of mitoses in one visual field. Three malignancy degrees of squamous cell skin cancer were determined based on the above-mentioned criteria. Degree I was characterized by 2.8% of metastases and the 5-year survival was 97.2%; for degree II the figures were 26.1% and 85.1%, respectively, and degree III.sbd.76.9% and 35.6%, respectively.