2021 Volume 36 Issue 3 Pages 190-196
An 89－year－old female had been treated with hydroxycarbamide (HC) for polycythemia vera since 2008. She had noticed a rice－sized red nodule on her back in 2006, which began to grow around 2010. At the first visit in 2016, a 30 mm－sized red nodule with erosion was noted on her middle back. Although squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) was suspected, she refused further examination. In 2020, she returned to us due to bleeding from the tumor, which was irregularly shaped, pale red, and elevated and had enlarged to 60×35 mm. In addition, she had a 30－mm keratotic tumor on the dorsum of her left hand and soybean－sized black scabs on the dorsum of her right hand. Biopsy from the tumor on her back confirmed the diagnosis of SCC and tumor resection was performed. Subsequently, the tumors on the left and right hands were resected and diagnosed as Bowen’s disease and SCC, respectively. HC is an anti－metabolic agent used for treating myeloproliferative disease. Recently, there have been increasing number of reports regarding non－melanoma skin cancer associated with long－term HC treatment. Multiple skin cancers could arise, as in our case, following the long－term use of HC. Careful monitoring is essential for the early detection of skin malignancy, particularly in patients treated with HC for long periods.[Skin Cancer (Japan) 2021 ; 36 : 190－196]
