Bowens Disease (BD)

• Also called squamous cell carcinoma in situ.  Affects squamous cells (the outermost skin cells in the epidermis). Considered precancerous, with about 10% of cases becoming invasive squamous cell carcinoma.
• Mostly affects Caucasians over 60.   It is believed to affect men more than women. 
• Bowen's disease is neither contagious nor related to allergies.  Although it is often mistaken for psoriasis or eczema. It can also resemble superficial basal cell carcinoma, actinic keratosis, seborrheic keratosis, lichen planus, tinea corporis and extramammary Paget'sdisease. A biopsy can will give a definitive diagnosis of BD provided a deep enough sample is taken to distinguish it from basal cell carcinoma.

Causes / Factors increasing risk of getting Bowen's disease

• Most often affects areas of skin with chronic sun exposure. However, can also occur in places where the sun doesn't usually shine. People with fair skin seem to be more vulnerable.
• Aging
• Immunosuppression.  More likely in those with a compromised immune system or those taking immunosuppression drugs.
• Having a cutaneous human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.  HPVs are a group of more than 150 related viruses. HPV 16 (most commonly), 18, 34, and 48 have caused Bowen disease at genital sites. HPV 16 is also the cause of some cases of cervical cancer. Less often, HPV types 2, 16, 34, and 35 are associated with Bowen disease in areas of the body other than the genitals.
• Chronic arsenic exposure.  Usually about 10 years after initial exposure.  Arsenic is a tasteless, colorless metallic element that has been known to contaminate well water in the past.

Symptoms of Bowen's disease

• Most often occurs on lower legs.   Can also appear on head, neck, palms and genitals.
• Slow-growing, reddish-brown, flat or slightly raised patch of dry, scaly skin.  Size ranges from a few millimeters to a few centimeters.
• Can itch, ooze pus, bleed or become crusted and/or tender.
• Lesions may be warty (verrucous), split open (fissured) or, less often, darkly colored (pigmented).
• Typically there is only one lesion, but multiple lesions may develop in 10-20% of cases, usually in more than one area of the body.

Early signs of malignant transformation in Bowen's disease include:   The development of a fleshy nodule or bump in a skin lesion. This nodule may be tender and bleed easily.

Treatments for Bowens disease

Alternative treatment choices to directly destroy cancer cells

• PEMF therapy using SOTA Magnetic Pulser (Applied over cancerous area)
• Ozone Therapy (Ozonated olive oil (OOO);  Ozone Funneling)
• Chlorine Dioxide Therapy (CDT) - Applied externally using DMSO
• Black Salve
• 7% Iodine Tincture
• Topical eggplant extract.  Used since 1825, eggplant extract has been shown to be effective in the treatment of both malignant and benign human skin tumours. Solasodine rhamnosyl glycosides (BEC) can be extracted from eggplants.  A preparation (Curaderm™) which contains 0.005%  BEC is effective in the treatment of keratoses, basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of human skin.   Link  
• Topical myrrh and frankincense essential oils.  DIluted in carrier oil and rubbed on lesions shown effective against skin cancers. Myrrh is rich in sesquiterpenoid and curzerene. Frankincense has several active ingredients. Link

Common mainstream treatments for Bowens disease

• Topical chemotherapy.   Two common creams are 5-fluorouracil and imiquimod 5%, applied directly to lesions twice daily for two weeks or much longer to directly destroy the cancer cells.
• Curettage. The lesion is scraped off the skin under anaesthesia, possibly followed by cauterization.
• Surgical removal. Lesion is cut out and sutured (leaves scar)
• Cryotherapy.  Uses extreme cold to freeze and destroy tissue and cells of skin lesions. Most effective for single or small lesions.
• Photodynamic therapy (PDT). A photosynthesizer drug is absorbed by affected cells aalong with a specific wavelength of light to activate the drug producing a chemical to destroy affect cells. Useful for large lesions.