EMPD Report

Mechanisms of immune evasion in extramammary Paget disease

Mechanisms of immune evasion in extramammary Paget disease

mmune evasion by cancer is a well-recognized mechanism that promotes tumour growth and metastases which in recent years has been shown to be amenable to therapeutic exploitation. Extramammary Paget disease (EMPD) is a rare form of skin cancer affecting apocrine glands in anogenital regions. The prognosis of the disease is good if treated early by surgical removal of the tissue, with a 5-year survival rate close to 95%.[1] The prognosis is worse for invasive disease, partly due to the lack of definitive treatment options in this setting.[2] Understanding the mechanisms of EMPD evolution has the potential to identify new treatment targets for this entity. In this edition of the BJD, Fujimura et al.[3] have looked into a suspected link between Langerhans cells (LCs) and regulatory T-cell (Treg) activity in EMPD that could contribute to the immunosuppressive environment that supports tumour growth and invasion by immune evasion.

Mayo Clinic Cancer Center Experience of Metastatic Extramammary Paget Disease 1998-2012

Mayo Clinic Cancer Center Experience of Metastatic Extramammary Paget Disease 1998-2012

Extramammary Paget disease (EMPD) is a rare cutaneous malignancy. The most common presentation of EMPD is the vulva followed by perianal involvement. Most cases are localized to the dermis with treatment focused on surgery, topical treatment or radiotherapy. Recurrence is frequent despite therapies utilized. Metastatic extramammary Paget disease is uncommon and, as such, standard treatment guidelines do not exist. This study sought to evaluate the treatment regimens and outcomes of patients treated at a Mayo Clinic Center from 1998-2012. Cancer registry inquiry revealed 261 patients with report advanced Paget disease during these years. Ten cases of metastatic EPMD were identified with sufficient documentation for review. This review reveals support for utilizing localized radiation therapy for bulky disease sequentially with systemic chemotherapy consisting of carboplatin and paclitaxel or irinotecan. Further studies are necessary to define the optimal treatment regimen.

Primary invasive triple extramammary Paget's disease with regional lymph node metastasis

Primary invasive triple extramammary Paget's disease with regional lymph node metastasis

Extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) is a rare intraepidermal carcinoma and predominantly involves apocrine gland-bearing areas, such as anogenital regions and axillae. EMPD usually involves a solitary area and, less often, two areas in the same patient (double EMPD). The simultaneous involvement of bilateral axillae and anogenital region, called triple extramammary Paget's disease (TEPD), is an extremely rare subgroup of diseases that has been reported mostly from studies conducted in Japan. Because of its rarity, the clinical course, pathology/immunohistochemical staining features, and prognosis of TEPD are still unclear. Herein, to our knowledge, we present the first case of primary invasive TEPD with regional lymph node metastasis in Taiwan, and review the literature.

Mohs with CK-7 staining: 98% 5-year cure rate for extramammary Paget disease

Mohs with CK-7 staining: 98% 5-year cure rate for extramammary Paget disease

Mohs surgery with cytokeratin-7 immunohistochemistry staining effected complete removal of extramammary Paget disease and resulted in a 5-year, 95% recurrence-free cure rate.

The results are significantly better than the often-cited 77% cure rate seen with Mohs surgery alone, Dr. Ali Alexander Damavandy said at the annual meeting of the American College of Mohs Surgery.

“These are statistically significant and clinically substantial results,” said Dr. Damavandy, a procedural dermatology fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. “With this method you can tell a patient that in 5 years, he has a 95% chance of still not having the tumor. The high recurrence-free rate we have seen supports the view that Mohs surgery with cytokeratin-7 [CK-7] immunohistochemistry should be considered the curative treatment of choice for both primary and recurrent extramammary Paget disease of the skin.”

A pilot study of topical imiquimod therapy for the treatment of recurrent extramammary Paget's disease

A pilot study of topical imiquimod therapy for the treatment of recurrent extramammary Paget's disease

Eight patients from two institutions were enrolled. Complete clinical and histologic response was achieved in 6 (75%) patients by the 12-week follow-up appointment. Of the two remaining patients, one had a complete clinical response but no significant histologic response; the other patient was removed from the study protocol secondary to intolerable local irritation. Two patients continue to have no evidence of disease after a median follow-up of 35 months. Five are alive with disease. No patients progressed to invasive cancer while receiving therapy.

Clinical and pathological characteristics of extramammary Paget’s disease: report of 246 Chinese male patients

Clinical and pathological characteristics of extramammary Paget’s disease: report of 246 Chinese male patients

Extramammary Paget’s disease (EMPD) is a rare cutaneous neoplasm. The aim of this study was to elaborate the clinical and pathological features of Chinese EMPD male patients. The study comprised 246 patients with EMPD at our institute from January 1993 to December 2012. Scrotum was the most common initial site. The average age of onset was 63.9 years but the mean delay in diagnosis was 3.6 years. EPMD spread exclusively to the inguinal lymph nodes and the right inguinal lymph nodes are more likely to suffered Paget cells infiltration. Accompanying malignancies were found in 20 patients. Pathological examination revealed 63 patients defined as invasive EMPD. Immunohistochemical detection showed various expression levels of EMA, CEA, CK7, HER2/neu, Ki67, P53, CK20 and S100 in tumor tissues, but negative expression of VIM, LCA and HMB45. HER2/neu protein exhibited a significant association with invasive EMPD. A novel histological type of EMPD with CK7-/S100+ was identified. Elevated serum PSA level was observed in only 16% patients. Invasive EMPD often had advanced age of onset. Metastatic EMPD showed significantly shorter in the delay in diagnosis and the greater length of skin lesion in contrast to others. This study demonstrates the clinical and pathological features of Chinese male EMPD patients, and may provide implications for the management of Chinese EMPD patients.

Extramammary Paget's disease in two brothers

Extramammary Paget's disease in two brothers

Extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD), which is considered to be an adenocarcinoma of the apocrine glands, is a rare, slow-growing neoplasm. The standard treatment for local EMPD is surgical resection, however, so far, no effective treatment is found for advanced EMPD. Trastuzumab, which is a recombinant monoclonal antibody against the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 HER2 has been proved to be effective in the treatment of advanced EMPD in some cases where HER2 protein is overexpressed. Herein, we report two cases of EMPD in two brothers. The younger brother who presented as local EMPD on the scrotum received surgical resection and had no recurrence in 15 months following. The older brother suffered from invasive EMPD also on the scrotum with inguinal region multiple metastatic lymph nodes and was treated with combination chemotherapy and Trastuzumab to target HER2 consecutively after a wide surgical excision.

Psoriasis with extramammary paget disease in a male: a case report

Psoriasis with extramammary paget disease in a male: a case report

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that is characterized by erythematous, sharply demarcated papules and plaques covered by scales [1]. Extramammary Paget disease (EMPD) is a rare neoplastic condition of the skin or its underlying appendages commonly found in the vulva, perianal region, scrotum, penis, and axilla [2]. Clinically the condition presents as a well-demarcated, thickened, pruritic, erythematous, or white scaly plaque with irregular borders [3,4]. Microscopically EMPD involves large cells with vacuolated cytoplasm and centrally located nuclei characterized as Paget cells [5]. The disease is categorized into primary or secondary EMPD with primary EMPD originating from intraepidermal cells and secondary EMPD coming from an underlying neoplasm [2,5]. However, there is no report suggesting the association of psoriasis with EMPD, or psoriasis admixed with EMPD. In this paper, we present a case of extensive psoriasis in a male combined with penoscrotal EMPD.

A Case of Triple Extramammary Paget's Disease

A Case of Triple Extramammary Paget's Disease

We report a 74‐year‐old Japanese man with triple extramammary Paget's disease; the genital and both of the axillar regions were simultaneously involved. Literature review revealed that 27 cases of triple extramammary Paget's disease have been reported in Japan, but there are no reports of triple extramammary Paget's disease from countries other than Japan, although 2 cases of double extramammary Paget's disease are reported. In all 28 cases, including our case, the genital lesion preceded the axillary lesions. All cases except one were male and only the exceptional female case was reported to have an the invasive tumor in the dermis. We speculate that extramammary Paget's disease may appear multi‐centrically.

Metastatic extramammary Paget’s disease with pancytopenia and disseminated intravascular coagulation responding to weekly paclitaxel: a case report

Metastatic extramammary Paget’s disease with pancytopenia and disseminated intravascular coagulation responding to weekly paclitaxel: a case report

Metastatic Extramammary Paget’s Disease (EMPD) is a rare cancer that currently has no validated treatment. Regimens including FECOM (5-FU, epirubicin, carboplatin, vincristine, and mitomycin C), trastuzumab in HER-2 expressing disease, 5-FU/cisplatin, or single agent docetaxel have been used in different case reports with varying levels of efficacy. A 58 year-old gentleman with EMPD diffusely metastatic to bone with bone marrow invasion presented with worsening shortness of breath and was found to have significant pancytopenia and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). He was started on low-dose heparin for the DIC and weekly paclitaxel. Initially requiring daily transfusions of platelets and packed red blood cells, his shortness of breath improved after two doses of paclitaxel, and he became transfusion-independent after only three doses of paclitaxel. Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) levels have been shown to correlate with tumor progression and parallel disease course. This patient’s pre-paclitaxel CEA of 62.1 ng/mL was also observed to decrease to 20.6 ng/mL after three doses. With no current validated chemotherapy regimen, this case can help guide consideration of paclitaxel in future treatment of metastatic EMPD. 

The Effectiveness of Mapping Biopsy in Patients with Extramammary Paget's Disease

The Effectiveness of Mapping Biopsy in Patients with Extramammary Paget's Disease

Extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) is an intraepithelial carcinoma usually occurring on the skin or mucosa of the perineum. Clinically, it resembles eczema or dermatitis, and misdiagnosis and treatment delays are common. The treatment of choice for EMPD is a wide excision with adequate margins. Wide excision with intraoperative frozen biopsy and Mohs micrographic surgery are common methods; however, these are associated with a high recurrence rate and long operation time, respectively.

Methods

Between January 2010 and June 2013, 21 patients diagnosed with EMPD underwent mapping biopsy. Biopsy specimens were collected from at least 10 areas, 2 cm from the tumor margin. When the specimens were positive for malignancy, additional mapping biopsy was performed around the biopsy site of the positive result, and continued until no cancer cells were found. Based on the results, excision margins and reconstruction plans were established preoperatively.

Results

The patients (18 male, 3 female) had a mean age of 66.5 years (range, 50-82 years). Almost all cases involved in the perineal area, except one case of axillary involvement. Permanent biopsy revealed one case (4.8%) of positive cancer cells on the resection margin, in which additional mapping biopsy and re-operation was performed. At the latest follow-up (mean, 27.4 months; range, 12-53 months), recurrence had not occurred.

Conclusions

Preoperative mapping biopsy enables accurate resection margins and a preoperative reconstructing plan. Additionally, it reduces the operation time and risk of recurrence. Accordingly, it represents an effective alternative to Mohs micrographic surgery and wide excision with intraoperative frozen biopsy.

A multicenter study on extramammary Paget's disease in Korea

A multicenter study on extramammary Paget's disease in Korea

In our study, EMPD was more common in male than in female patients (ratio: 3.9:1), which contrasts with findings from studies performed in Western populations. As a result of this pattern of male predominance, the most common sites of disease were the scrotum, penile shaft, and pubic area. A total of 27 associated malignancies were identified in 26 (14.4%) of 181 patients, which included stomach cancer (n = 6), rectal cancer (n = 3), colon cancer (n = 3), anal cancer (n = 2), pancreatic can- cer (n = 2), liver cancer (n = 2), and other cancers (n = 9). Of the eight patients who tested positive for CK20, five (62.5%) had an accompanying internal malig- nancy. Of the 11 patients who tested negative for CK20, two (18.2%) had a true associated malignancy. Of the 193 patients diagnosed with EMPD, 58% underwent conventional wide excisions and 11.2% had MMS. Nine- teen (33.3%) of the 57 patients in the conventional exci- sion group showed recurrence, but only two (12.5%) of the 16 patients in the MMS group experienced recur- rence. Of the 181 patients for whom follow-up data were available, 88 (48.6%) belonged to the ANED group, 41 (22.6%) to the AWD group, nine (5.0%) to the DOD group, two (1.1%) to the DOAC group, 12 (6.6%) to the DOUD group, and 29 (16%) to the FUL group. These findings have important implications for the management and treatment of Korean EMPD patients.

A review of extramammary paget’s disease: Clinical presentation, diagnosis, management and prognosis

A review of extramammary paget’s disease: Clinical presentation, diagnosis, management and prognosis

Extramammary Paget’s Disease (EMPD) is a rare neoplastic lesion, which represents less than 1% of vulvar neoplasms. The lesion generally appears as eczema and the most frequently reported symptom is the itch. Also because of these poor clinical features, there is usually a delay in its diagnosis, based on the typical biopsy histological pattern. It has a good prognosis in absence of malignancy, but can result in a heavy quality of life impairment because of frequent recurrence with necessity of ablative therapies and anxiety for possible cancerization. Rarely EMPD can be invasive or associated to adenocarcinoma or other kinds of cancer. The first choice therapy is the surgical excision, with inguinal lymphadenectomy in case of infiltrative disease. However, many other conservative therapies, including the topical use of antiblastic, immuno-modulating, and hormone-modulating drugs, are used against EMPD even if still off label. After completion of this article, the reader should be able to recall the clinical manifestations of the EMPD, the histological pattern which allows its diagnosis, and to state the options for a treatment, which should be conservative and at the same time as radical as possible. 

Potential Use of Bisphosphonates in Invasive Extramammary Paget’s Disease: An Immunohistochemical Investigation

Potential Use of Bisphosphonates in Invasive Extramammary Paget’s Disease: An Immunohistochemical Investigation

Invasive extramammary Paget’s disease (EMPD) is relatively rare and is reported to be highly metastatic to lymph nodes or even other organs, including bone. Histologically, EMPD shows significant numbers of lymphocytes around the tumor mass, suggesting the possible development of novel immunomodulatory therapy for EMPD by targeting these infiltrating lymphocytes. Previously, bisphosphonates (BPs) were administered for the treatment of malignancy, especially osteolytic bone disease. Recent reports also suggested that BPs might have a direct antitumor effect through several pathways beyond their beneficial effect on bone metastasis. Among them, the abrogation of immunosuppressive cells, myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC), by BPs might be one of the optimal methods to induce an antitumor immune response both locally and at sites remote from the tumor. In this study, we employed immunohistochemical staining for immunosuppressive macrophages and cytotoxic T cells in the lesional skin of patients with noninvasive EMPD and those with invasive EMPD.

Prognosis and Management of Extramammary Paget’s Disease and the Association with Secondary Malignancies

Prognosis and Management of Extramammary Paget’s Disease and the Association with Secondary Malignancies

Male-to-female ratio was 4:29, and median age was 70 years. Median followup was 68 months, and no patient died from EMPD. The lesion was predominantly found on the vulva (76%). Patch-like, nonconfluent growth was present in 45% of patients, and no patient had pathologic lymph nodes. The most common signs and symptoms were irritation or pruritus (73%) and rash (61%). The presence of patches, invasive tumor growth, or a second malignancy were significantly associated with a higher recurrence rate. The type of operation, either local excision or hemivulvectomy, was not related to the time to recurrence. Complete gross resection was achieved in 94% of cases. Fifty-six percent of patients had microscopically positive margin and this correlated with a significantly higher recurrence rate (p 􏰀 0.002). The tumor recurred clinically in 14 of 33 patients (42%) after a median of 152 months (range 5 to 209 months). In those patients, between one and six reexcisions were performed. In 14 of 33 patients with EMPD (42%), 16 concurrent secondary malignancies were found. Overall survival rates for EMPD patients were similar to those of the general population.

Perianal extramammary paget's disease associated with primary linitis plastica of the rectum: Report of a case

Perianal extramammary paget's disease associated with primary linitis plastica of the rectum: Report of a case

We report herein a case of perianal extramammary Paget's disease associated with primary linitis plastica of the rectum. An 82-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for investigation and treatment of a perianal eczematous lesion. A skin biopsy of the lesion revealed perianal extramammary Paget's disease and a barium enema demonstrated diffuse narrowing with an irregular contour at the ampulla recti. Under a suspected diagnosis of linitis plastica of the rectum, an abdominoperineal resection was performed to resect both the rectal and perianal lesions with regional lymphadenectomy. Grossly, marked narrowing and wall thickness were observed at the lower rectum, and a histological diagnosis of signet ring cell carcinoma was confirmed. The perianal eczematous lesion revealed many atypical cells with clear cytoplasm, being Paget cells, throughout the entire epidermis. Sparse distributions of signet ring cells were also observed in the subcutaneous tissue beneath the perianal eczematous lesion. The pathogenesis of perianal extramammary Paget's disease in this patient was therefore considered to be an intraepidermal extension of primary linitis plastica of the rectum.

Ultrastructural study of extramammary Paget's disease -- histologically showing transition from bowenoid pattern to Paget's disease pattern.

Ultrastructural study of extramammary Paget's disease -- histologically showing transition from bowenoid pattern to Paget's disease pattern.

Histological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural studies were performed on two cases of histologically unusual extramammary Paget's disease. Histologically, the central area of the lesions showed a bowenoid pattern, and the peripheral area showed typical extramammary Paget's disease. The transition zone showed an intermediate pattern. All these areas were positive for CEA and EMA, and negative for S-100 protein. Ultrastructurally, in the intermediate pattern, the tumour cells had abundant cytoplasmic glycogen, and the widened intercellular spaces contained numerous glycogen particles, which were probably secreted by the tumour cells. It is well known that eccrine glands, but not apocrine glands, secrete glycogen particles. Therefore, the present findings suggest that some cases of extramammary Paget's disease are a proliferation of germinative cells with eccrine gland differentiation.