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Fifteen squamous cell carcinomas of the skin, termed inadequately excised by the pathologist, were aggravated by lack of patient cooperation or availability. If there was no prophylactic treatment, a recurrence rate of about 50% and an ultimate patient mortality of about 25% from uncontrolled cancer was observed. Prophylactic retreatment with reexcision or radiotherapy before the appearance of clinical recurrence in 24 patients significantly reduced these failures.

Epidermoid carcinomas of the lower extremity are infrequent tumors and references in the literature are inconsistent regarding prognosis and etiology. Some authors consider them slow growing and late to metastasize,3,5,8while others regard these lesions are more malignant than other skin cancer.7 Material Among 31,200 consecutive admissions to the Ellis Fischel State Cancer Hospital, 26 (0.09%) had epidermoid carcinoma and nine (0.03%) had carcinomas in situ of the lower extremities. The 26 invasive cancers were subdivided into group 1, containing 13 cancers that arose primarily from the skin of the leg without any antecedent benign condition being recognized, and group 2, containing 13 invasive cancers arising at the site of a recognized antecedent benign lesion. Eight carcinomas in situ fell in group 1 and one in group 2. Various characteristics of the cancers and hosts are given in Tables 1-5 and Fig 1, serving as a basis for