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Observational Study
. 2024 Apr 28;31(5):2481-2487.
doi: 10.3390/curroncol31050185.

The Immune Response of Cutaneous Basosquamous- and Squamous-Cell Carcinoma Associated with Sun Exposure

Anamaria Grigore  1 , Ana-Maria Oproiu  1   2 , Ioana Iancu  3 , Ioan-Petre Florescu  1
Affiliations
Observational Study

The Immune Response of Cutaneous Basosquamous- and Squamous-Cell Carcinoma Associated with Sun Exposure

Anamaria Grigore et al. Curr Oncol. .

Abstract

In recent years, there has been an observed increase in the frequency of cutaneous carcinoma, which correlates with sun exposure. This study aims to explore the variances of tumor characteristics and immune response markers among patients diagnosed with cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC) and basosquamous-cell carcinoma (BSC) with varying levels of sun exposure. The objective is to elucidate the potential influence of sun exposure on tumor progression and immune response in these types of carcinomas. We conducted a retrospective observational study that included 132 patients diagnosed with SCC and BSC. Participants were separated into high- and low-sun exposure groups. Tumor characteristics and immune response markers, including lymphocyte percentage (LY%), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), were assessed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Our findings revealed the interplay between sun exposure, inflammation, aging, and immune response. In 80% of cases, it was found that individuals had high sun exposure throughout their lifetime. Patients in the high sun exposure category had a significantly higher LY% than those with low sun exposure (24.22 ± 7.64 vs. 20.71 ± 8.10, p = 0.041). Also, the NLR was lower in patients with high sun exposure (3.08 ± 1.47 vs. 3.94 ± 2.43, p = 0.023). Regarding inflammatory markers, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), LY%, NLR, and LMR showed significant differences between the two groups. Patients who were diagnosed with SCC had higher ESR values (p = 0.041), higher LY% (p = 0.037), higher NLR (p = 0.041), and lower LMR (p = 0.025). This study provides evidence supporting distinct tumor characteristics and immune response patterns in patients diagnosed with SCC and BSC with a high sun exposure history. These findings imply that sun exposure may contribute to tumor progression and influence the immune response in individuals with SCC and BSC.

Keywords: basosquamous-cell carcinoma; immune response; squamous-cell carcinoma; sun exposure.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest or financial ties to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of patients diagnosed with cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC) and basosquamous-cell carcinoma (BSC) according to sun exposure.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Medium, minimum, and maximum value of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and lymphocyte percentage (LY%) among patients with basosquamous-cell carcinoma (BSC) and cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Medium, minimum, and maximum value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) among patients with BSC and SCC.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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