Causes of Bowen’s disease
Bowen’s disease, also known as intraepidermal cancer, is a disease characterized by single or multiple neoplasms of the skin. The disease itself is not an oncological disease, it is usually attributed to precancerous conditions of the body. This is due to the fact that in Bowen’s disease there are no germination of neoplasms into the surrounding tissues of the body, typical for malignant tumors. With no or inadequate therapeutic therapy, Bowen’s disease inevitably turns into a more dangerous form – invasive skin cancer, which is characterized by metastasis to internal organs and other body systems.
Various carcinogenic effects are commonly attributed to the causes of the occurrence and development of Bowen’s disease:
effects of various toxic chemicals on the human body;
prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light on the skin;
radiation exposure;
The probability of developing intraepidermal cancer increases if there are chronic forms of dermatoses in the body, such as lupus erythematosus, lichen planus or chronic skin diseases of a different genesis. The presence of human papillomavirus can also provoke the onset of Bowen’s disease.
Symptoms of Bowen’s disease
Most often, like most cancers or precancerous diseases, Bowen’s disease is diagnosed in the older age group, with patients over 45 years of age in the main risk group. The disease is localized, most often, on the skin of the head, in the mouth and genitals (in men).
The main manifestation of Bowen’s disease is a visible neoplasm on the skin. Initially, only a reddish speck appears, which has no clear boundaries. Subsequently, a growing plaque develops in its place, sometimes its peeling is noted. Then real wart growths appear, necrotic changes occur in the nearest areas of the skin, ulcers may occur.
If the disease is localized at the base of the nail bed, the nail eventually collapses.
With the pigmented form of the disease, the color of the neoplasm becomes brown or black, and not red (as with other forms of Bowen’s disease).
To diagnose “intraepidermal cancer”, the patient is examined by an oncologist (oncologist-urologist, if the foreskin of a man is affected). Next, a tissue biopsy is prescribed for histological examination. Its results, if there is a disease, are identical to the changes in squamous cell skin cancer, with the only exception that Bowen’s disease is localized only in the epidermis, not spreading to other tissues.
Also, when diagnosing, it is important to be able to distinguish Bowen’s disease from diseases with similar symptoms. These include:
keratoses;
senile warts;
tuberculous lupus;
Simultaneously with tissue biopsy, a comprehensive examination is carried out aimed at identifying the possible presence of oncological diseases. In this case, the following types of examinations may be prescribed by the doctor:
MRI;
CT;
tests aimed at detecting cancer markers in the blood.
Treatment of Bowen’s disease
Treatment of Bowen’s disease is prescribed based on the clinical picture of the disease. Most often, this involves surgical removal of formations. Along with the classical types of surgical intervention, cryodestruction or electrocoagulation are also often used.
In the case of multiple neoplasms, laser treatment methods are sometimes used or X-ray therapy is prescribed.
