Sebaceous carcinoma

Updated: 2025-01-14

Overview

Sebaceous carcinoma

Sebaceous carcinoma

Sebaceous carcinoma is a type of cancer that begins in an oil gland in your skin. It most often affects the eyelid and may cause a lump or skin thickening.

Sebaceous carcinoma is a rare type of cancer that begins in an oil gland in the skin. Sebaceous carcinoma most often affects the eyelids.

Sebaceous carcinoma may begin as a painless lump or thickening of skin on the eyelid. On other parts of the body, it might cause a bump on the skin that may bleed or have a scab.

Sebaceous carcinoma treatment often involves surgery to remove the cancer. Sebaceous carcinoma can grow quickly and sometimes spreads to other parts of the body.

Symptoms

Symptoms of sebaceous carcinoma may vary based on where it starts. This cancer happens most often on the eyelid.

Symptoms of sebaceous carcinoma on the eyelid include:

• A small, painless lump on the upper eyelid.
• A lump that may look pink, red-brown or yellow.
• Eyelid skin that becomes thicker.
• Swelling and irritation on the eyelid.

When sebaceous carcinoma happens on other parts of the body it's called extraocular sebaceous carcinoma. Symptoms of extraocular sebaceous carcinoma include:

• A lump on the skin.
• A lump that may look yellow, tan, dark brown or copper-colored depending on your skin color.
• A lump that forms on the head, neck, trunk, arm or leg.

When to see a doctor

Make an appointment with a doctor or other healthcare professional if you have any symptoms that worry you.

Causes

The cause of sebaceous carcinoma often isn't known. This cancer starts as a growth of cells in the oil-producing glands of the skin. These glands are called sebaceous glands.

Sebaceous carcinoma happens when sebaceous gland cells get changes in their DNA. A cell's DNA holds the instructions that tell the cell what to do. In healthy cells, the DNA gives instructions to grow and multiply at a set rate. The instructions tell the cells to die at a set time. In cancer cells, the DNA changes give different instructions. The changes tell the cancer cells to grow and multiply quickly. Cancer cells can keep living when healthy cells would die. This causes too many cells. The cancer cells form a growth or lump on the skin.

Risk factors

Risk factors for sebaceous carcinoma include:

• Weakened immune system. If the body's germ-fighting immune system is weakened by medicine or illness, there might be a higher risk of sebaceous carcinoma. People with weakened immune systems include those taking medicine to control the immune system, such as after an organ transplant. Some health conditions, such as HIV infection, also can weaken the immune system.
• Radiation therapy. People who received radiation therapy treatments for cancer may have a higher risk of sebaceous carcinoma.
• Older age. Sebaceous carcinoma happens most often in people over age 60.
• Hereditary syndromes. People with some conditions that run in families may be more likely to have sebaceous carcinoma. Examples include Lynch syndrome and Muir-Torre syndrome.

There is no way to prevent sebaceous carcinoma.

Diagnosis

Tests and procedures used to diagnose sebaceous carcinoma include:

• Skin exam. A healthcare professional may carefully inspect your skin to understand your condition.
• Eye exam. If you have sebaceous carcinoma on your eyelid, you might need to see an eye doctor. Eye doctors are also called ophthalmologists. The eye doctor will carefully check your eyelid and your eye. The eye doctor looks for signs that cancer has spread to the tissue that covers the inside of your eyelid and the white of your eye.
• Skin biopsy. Your healthcare professional may remove a small amount of tissue for testing. Specialized lab tests can determine if cancer cells are present.

Treatment

Sebaceous carcinoma treatment often involves surgery to remove the cancer. Other treatments might be options in certain situations.

Treatment options may include:

• Surgery to remove the cancer. Your healthcare professional may recommend a procedure to remove the cancer and some of the healthy tissue that surrounds it. A specialist will examine the edges of the tissue to make sure no cancer cells are present. This makes it more likely that all of the cancer cells are removed during surgery.
• Mohs surgery. Mohs surgery is a specialized type of surgery that involves removing thin layers of cancer-containing skin until only cancer-free tissue is left. After each layer of skin is removed, it's checked for signs of cancer. The process keeps going until there are no signs of cancer. This technique may be helpful if your cancer is in a spot where surgeons want to preserve as much of the healthy skin as possible. Examples include the eyelid and the face.
• Radiation therapy. Radiation therapy uses powerful energy beams, such as X-rays and protons, to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy can be used after surgery to kill any cancer cells that might remain. Radiation therapy may be used alone if surgery isn't an option.
• Clinical trials. Clinical trials to test new treatments may be an option. Ask your healthcare professional whether you're eligible to participate in a clinical trial.

Preparing for an appointment

Make an appointment with a doctor or other healthcare professional if you have any symptoms that worry you. If your health professional thinks that you might have sebaceous carcinoma, that person may refer you to a specialist. Often this is a doctor who specializes in treating skin conditions, called a dermatologist.

Appointments can be short, and being prepared can help. Here's some information that may help you get ready.

What you can do

When you make the appointment, ask if there's anything you need to do in advance, such as fasting before having a specific test. Make a list of:

• Your symptoms, including any that don't seem related to the reason for your appointment.
• Key personal information, including major stresses, recent life changes and family medical history.
• All medications, vitamins or other supplements you take, including the doses.
• Questions to ask your healthcare professional.

Take a family member or friend along, if possible, to help you remember the information you're given.

For sebaceous carcinoma, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:

• Do I have cancer?
• Do I need more tests?
• What are my treatment options?
• What are the potential risks of these treatment options?
• Do any of the treatments cure my cancer?
• Can I have a copy of my pathology report?
• How much time can I take to consider my treatment options?
• Are there brochures or other printed material that I can take with me? What websites do recommend?
• What would happen if I chose not to have treatment?

Don't hesitate to ask other questions.

What to expect from your doctor

Your healthcare professional is likely to ask you several questions, such as:

• When did your symptoms begin?
• Have your symptoms been continuous or occasional?
• How bad are your symptoms?
• What, if anything, seems to improve your symptoms?
• What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?