Skin
The incidence of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) originating in the skin is very low, with about one new case being discovered per 4 million people per year (1).
It is one of the rarest places for ACC to start. It is thought to start in the sweat glands in the skin, but this is not well understood due to how rare the cancer is.
Treatment for ACC of the skin is very similar to other areas. If the cancer is still small and localised, then surgery to remove the cancer, sometimes followed by radiotherapy to the area, is generally the treatment with the best chance of cure.
However, like ACC starting in other areas, ACC in the skin has a high chance of returning even with successful surgery. This usually happens within the first 5 years after surgery but it can return much later (2).
If the cancer has spread or is too large to remove surgically, then the treatment options are the same as for ACC originating in the salivary gland. You can read about treatment options here.
References:
(1) Dores GM, Huycke MM, Devesa SS, Garcia CA. Primary cutaneous adenoid cystic carcinoma in the United States: incidence, survival, and associated cancers, 1976 to 2005. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2010;63:71–8.
(2) Singh A, Ramesh V. Primary cutaneous adenoid cystic carcinoma with distant metastasis: A case report and brief literature review. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 2010;76:176–9.
Last updated November 2024