Dermatological findings in bladder cancer: relationship between clinical and paraneoplastic syndromes

Abstract

Bladder cancer is a significant urological disease that can present with systemic manifestations, including clinical symptoms and paraneoplastic syndromes. This study aims to evaluate the frequency of dermatological findings in bladder cancer patients and their relationship with clinical parameters. Although limited, previous studies have investigated skin findings associated with bladder cancer; this study further explores their potential associations. This prospective study included forty-five bladder cancer patients diagnosed between 2020 and 2022. Data collected included demographic characteristics, TNM stage, tumor location, lymphovascular invasion status, and pathological tumor grade. Dermatological assessments identified skin findings such as seborrheic keratosis, tinea pedis, seborrheic dermatitis, vitiligo, and eczema. Dermatological findings were observed in 60% of the patients included in the study. The most common findings were eruptive seborrheic keratosis (20%) and tongue changes (20%). These dermatological findings were significantly more frequent in patients with advanced bladder cancer (T2N1M0), with a statistically significant relationship (p < 0.001). However, no significant associations were identified between lymphovascular invasion or pathological tumor grade and the presence of skin findings (p = 0.246 and p = 0.598). The high prevalence of dermatological findings in patients with bladder cancer indicates their potential association with paraneoplastic syndromes. The observation that lesions such as eruptive seborrheic keratosis and tongue changes are more common in advanced-stage bladder cancer suggests that these skin manifestations could serve as prognostic markers for disease progression.