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CASE REPORT article
Front. Oncol.
Sec. Skin Cancer
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1549683
Effective treatment of refractory, locally metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the leg with isolated limb perfusion: A case report with unexpected long progression-free interval
Provisionally accepted
Danai-Dionysia Kanatoula 1,2,3*
Sebastian Wohlfeil 1,2,3
Jens Jakob 4 Peter Hohenberger 4 Jochen Sven Utikal 1,2,3*- 1 Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Allergology, University Medical Center and Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, and Center of Excellence in Dermatology, Mannheim, Germany, Mannheim, Germany
- 2 Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany, Heidelberg, Germany
- 3 DKFZ Hector Cancer Institute at the University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany, Mannheim, Germany
- 4 Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Mannheim University Medical Center, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany, Mannheim, Germany
Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed human malignancies and its incidence is steadily increasing. Locally advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the extremities that is refractory to standard therapies can be challenging to treat, with amputation of the limb being the ultima ratio treatment. Here we present a 67-year-old female patient with metastatic SCC of the leg refractory to standard therapies who was effectively treated with isolated limb perfusion and is free of any sign of relapse since more than 3 years. This case report provides a brief review of the recent literature on isolated limb perfusion and how this effective treatment can preserve the patient's quality of life by avoiding radical surgery and its negative consequences through limb salvage.
Keywords: SCC, Squamous cell carcinoma, Treatment, Isolated limb perfusion, rhTNFα
Received: 21 Dec 2024; Accepted: 28 Feb 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Kanatoula, Wohlfeil, Jakob, Hohenberger and Utikal. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Danai-Dionysia Kanatoula, Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Allergology, University Medical Center and Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, and Center of Excellence in Dermatology, Mannheim, Germany, Mannheim, Germany
Jochen Sven Utikal, Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Allergology, University Medical Center and Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, and Center of Excellence in Dermatology, Mannheim, Germany, Mannheim, Germany
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