Lichen Planus – Cancer Association

Squamous Cell Cancer can arise in patients with long standing lichen planus lesions and I occasionally encounter this situation in my The Woodlands dermatology and Conroe dermatology clinics.  The most common form of Lichen Planus to develop skin cancer is Hypertrophic Lichen Planus on the lower extremities.  Additionally, patients with Ulcerative Lichen Planus in the oral mucosa or vaginal/vulvar area are also at increased risk of developing Squamous Cell Cancers in these lesions.  However, Classic Lichen Planus has no increased cutaneous cancer risk and there is no increased internal malignancy rate in patients with Lichen Planus.