Can seborrheic keratosis become cancerous ?

 SEBORRHEIC KERATOSIS :

A seborrheic keratosis  is a common benign skin growth, similar to a mole. Most people will have at least one in their lifetime. They tend to appear in mid-adulthood and their frequency increases with age. They are harmless and don’t require treatment, but you can have them removed if they bother you.

Skin growths like seborrheic keratoses are sometimes also called epidermal tumors. That doesn’t mean they’re cancer, though. Technically, moles and warts are also epidermal tumors. That just means they are clusters of extra cells on the epiderma, the outer layer of the skin. They aren’t considered a risk factor for skin cancer. Seborrheic keratosis is a common benign (noncancerous) skin growth. It tends to appear in middle age and you may get more as you get older. Seborrheic keratoses are not pre-cancerous, but they can resemble other skin growths that are. Your healthcare provider can help diagnose your seborrheic keratosis and remove it .

WHAT TRIGGERS SEBORRHEIC KERATOSIS ?

 The first is age: seborrheic keratoses are especially common in adults over 50, and they tend to multiply as people get older. Some studies suggest that sun exposure may increase their occurrence. They also appear more frequently in families, which suggests that genetics may play a role. They are not viral or bacterial. They don’t spread and they aren’t contagious.

Seborrheic keratoses usually grow slowly and may develop their texture gradually over time. If many seborrheic keratoses erupt suddenly together, it might raise some concern. This unusual occurrence has sometimes been considered a sign of internal cancer. Doctors call it “the sign of Leser Trélat”. The correlation is not yet proven or explained and may only be a coincidence. But your healthcare provider might want to screen you for any other signs of internal cancer.

HOW IS A SEBORRHEIC KERATOSIS DIAGNOSIS ?

 Visual diagnosis is made by the "stuck on" appearance, horny pearls or cysts embedded in the structure. Darkly pigmented lesions can be challenging to distinguish from nodular melanomas. Furthermore, thin seborrheic keratoses on facial skin can be very difficult to differentiate from lentigo maligna even with dermatoscopy. Clinically, epidermal nevi are similar to seborrheic keratoses in appearance. Epidermal nevi are usually present at or near birth. Condylomas and warts can clinically resemble seborrheic keratoses, and dermatoscopy can be helpful to differentiate them. On the penis and genital skin, condylomas and seborrheic keratoses can be difficult to differentiate, even on biopsy.^{[citation needed]}

A study examining over 4,000 biopsied skin lesions identified clinically as seborrheic keratoses showed 3.1% were malignancies. Two thirds of those were squamous cell carcinoma.^[9] To date, the gold standard in the diagnosis of seborrheic keratosis is represented by the histolopathologic analysis of a skin biopsy . 

HOW  TO  TREAT SEBORRHEIC KERATOSIS  ?

In many cases, a seborrheic keratosis doesn’t need treatment. However, a healthcare professional may decide to remove any growths that have a suspicious appearance or cause physical or emotional discomfort. A doctor, dermatologist, or — in some cases — a physician assistant will perform your procedure.

Treatment and removal methods for a seborrheic keratosis include the following:

• Cryosurgery. Cryosurgery uses liquid nitrogen to freeze off the growth.
• Electrosurgery. In electrosurgery, a healthcare professional uses an electrical current to scrape off the growth. The area is numbed before the procedure.
• Curettage. In curettage, a healthcare professional scrapes off the growth with a curette, a scoop-like surgical instrument. Curettage is sometimes combined with electrosurgery.
• Shave excision. Shave excision is similar to curettage. A healthcare professional may perform it if they want to send a sample of the growth to a lab for analysis.
• Ablation. This procedure uses a special laser to vaporize the growth.
• Hydrogen peroxide solution. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a 40 percent hydrogen peroxide solution (Eskata) to destroy seborrheic keratosis cells. It’s only available by prescription. However, this method often causes skin irritation, according to a 2019 report . Nitric acid-zinc solution. The topical solution Nitrizinc Complex contains nitric acids, zinc, copper salts, and organic acids.
• Trusted Source found this method to be safe and effective at shrinking or completely eliminating most lesions within a 6-month period.

To prevent bleeding,inflammation  or infection, it’s important to not try to remove a seborrheic keratosis yourself by picking or scratching at it.

After the seborrheic keratosis is professionally removed, your skin may be lighter at the site of removal. The difference in skin color often becomes less noticeable over time.

Most of the time a seborrheic keratosis won’t return, but it’s possible to develop a new one on another part of your body.

RISK FACTORS OF SEBORRHEIC KERATOSIS :

Experts don’t know what causes a seborrheic keratosis to develop. They aren‘t bacterial, viral, or contagious.

The following risk factors may make you more likely to develop a seborrheic keratosis:

• Older age. The condition often develops in those who are in their 30s to 40s and risk increases with age. It isn‘t common in people younger than 20 years old.
• Having family members with seborrheic keratosis. This skin condition appears to run in families, and it can often be inherited. Risk increases with the number of affected biological relatives.
• Pregnancy or hormone therapy. Seborrheic keratoses may develop during pregnancy. These growths may also develop while a person undergoes estrogen replacement therapy .
• Frequent sun exposure. Researchers  found that one subtype of seborrheic keratosis, the adenoid type, occurred more often in sun-exposed skin than protected skin. However, seborrheic keratoses can also appear on skin that’s usually covered up outdoors.
• Having lighter skin. Seborrheic keratoses are generally more common in people with light skin, although people with darker skin can develop them too.