A keloid is an overgrowth of scar tissue. They are not cancerous, and they don't affect your physical health. However, they can be harmful to your mental health and extremely sensitive or uncomfortable.
The adjusted OR ratio for overall cancer risk among all patients with keloids was 1.51 (95% CI 1.39-1.63). Among all patients with keloids, the OR for specific cancer was: Pancreatic cancer: 2.57 (95% CI 1.59-4.18) Melanoma: 3.40 (95% CI 1.78-6.50)
Amelanotic malignant melanoma (AMM) is a rare subtype of malignant melanoma (MM) that manifests atypically and is easily misdiagnosed or missed altogether. The keloid type of AMM has rarely been reported.
A keloid scar is a thick raised scar. It can occur wherever you have a skin injury but usually forms on earlobes, shoulders, cheeks or the chest. If you're prone to developing keloids, you might get them in more than one place. A keloid scar isn't harmful to your physical health, but it can cause emotional distress.
Keloids often do not need treatment. If the keloid bothers you, discuss your concern with a skin doctor (dermatologist). The doctor may recommend these treatments to reduce the size of the keloid: Corticosteroid injections.
Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans is an extremely rare condition that can be confused with keloid, especially if growing to the size of 50 mm or not healing anyway (1, 4, 5, 7). In such cases, a detailed investigation covers core biopsy and CT-imaging to achieve an exact tissue evaluation.
In some instances, a surgeon may recommend removing a large hypertrophic scar or keloid. Keloids that far exceed the margins of the original wound, for example, require removal to allow surgeons to reconstruct the surrounding skin and tissue and restore as much of the underlying structure as possible.
Keloids can be treated, so it is not a condition you have to continue living with. The treatment involves superficial radiation and is incredibly effective in removing keloid scars.
It is a result of an overgrowth of granulation tissue (collagen type 3) at the site of a healed skin injury which is then slowly replaced by collagen type 1. Keloids are firm, rubbery lesions or shiny, fibrous nodules, and can vary from pink to the color of the person's skin or red to dark brown in color.
For the last decades, many published reports have described cases of neoplasms extended within the limits of scars, chronic ulcerations and chronic inflammatory skin areas, complicating the simple initial definition of Marjolin's ulcer. The rate of malignant transformation is estimated to be 1–2%.
The most common warning sign of skin cancer is a change on the skin, especially a new growth or a sore that doesn't heal. The cancer may start as a small, smooth, shiny, pale or waxy lump. It also may appear as a firm red lump. Sometimes, the lump bleeds or develops a crust.
A large brownish spot with darker speckles. A mole that changes in color, size or feel or that bleeds. A small lesion with an irregular border and portions that appear red, pink, white, blue or blue-black. A painful lesion that itches or burns.
Intramammary scars may also appear as areas of architectural distortion or clustered microcalcification, sometimes associated with thickening or retraction of overlying skin. Because of the difficulty in differentiating such benign lesions from carcinoma, false-positive diagnoses of cancer occur.
Chronic burn scars often cause various skin malignancies at rates of up to 2%. These lesions are usually squamous cell carcinomas, but rarely, malignant melanoma is reported.
Keloids can continue to grow for months or even years. They eventually stop growing but they do not disappear without treatment. In some cases, as mentioned above, keloids can return after they have been removed.
Most keloids continue to grow for weeks or months after they appear. A few grow for years. Growth tends to be slow.
Anything that can cause a scar can cause a keloid. This includes being burned, cut, or having severe acne. Keloids can also develop after you get a body piercing, a tattoo, or have surgery. Keloids sometimes show up 3 months or more after your skin is injured.
Conclusion: Keloids never completely disappear to leave skin with normal texture, however they can resolve (flatten and soften) so they no longer burden patients in approximately one third of cases. Scars resolving spontaneously do so early in the disease. Those that don't may resolve after many years of treatment.
Unlike a hypertrophic scar, a keloid doesn't fade with time. To reduce the appearance of a keloid, you need to treat it. When it comes to treatment, no one treatment works best for all keloids.
Even after successful flattening or removal, keloids can grow back, sometimes bigger than before. Or you may develop new ones.
A previous study revealed that IgA, IgM, C1q, and C3 deposits are present in keloid tissues; in particular, dense C3 deposits are present in large-diameter vessels. Thus, keloids may be a disease mediated by IC, similar to other autoimmune diseases.
Hypertrophic scars are not cancerous themselves. However, if you have one or more, it's wise to get them checked. Sometimes these scars can hide skin cancer. Your provider can conduct a careful evaluation of these scars and all of your skin growths and markings.