Hair follicles are tiny, pocket-shaped structures in your skin that produce hair, and contain a variety of different cells which not only help your hair grow, but also help your skin and even to heal wounds. If the cells grow out of control, hair follicle tumours can form - you may have heard of pilomatricoma, trichoepithelioma or trichoblastoma, which are all different types of hair follicle tumour. Most of the time, these are slow growing benign lumps which appear on the head, face or neck, but very occasionally cancer can develop.
Why do hair follicle tumours develop?
Like other types of tumour, hair follicle tumours develop when the cells there grow uncontrollably and form a lump. We don’t yet know exactly what causes these cells to misbehave, but it is likely to be a mixture of reasons. What research has shown is that risk factors such as age and genetics can sometimes play a role in the development of hair follicle tumours.
Are hair follicle tumours cancerous?
The vast majority of hair follicle tumours are not cancerous, however a very small percentage are. Research has helped understand the classifications of hair follicle tumours and the differences between those that are cancerous and not.
Who is more likely to develop hair follicle tumours?
Hair follicle tumours are most commonly diagnosed in teenagers but different types can affect people of any age. Some specific types are more common in children.
Can hair follicle tumours be linked to other conditions?
Some genetic conditions are associated with hair follicle tumours. For example Birt-Hogg Dubé syndrome patients often develop a benign type of hair follicle tumour called fibrofolliculomas.
Understanding more about the links between hair follicle tumours and other conditions is important to help detect tumours and people more at risk. International cancer research into how benign and cancerous tumours form can give us clues about how to stop them.
Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of hair follicle tumours:
What does a hair follicle tumour look and feel like?
There are different types of hair follicle tumour and they may appear anywhere on the body where hair grows. Different types vary in appearance, but they often appear as small bumps or lumps in the face, neck or scalp. Sometimes they can be mistaken for cysts, warts or moles especially as you may not experience any other symptoms.
How are hair follicle tumours diagnosed?
There are lots of different types of hair follicle tumours and most of them are benign - meaning they are not cancerous. A physical inspection of the growth and an investigation of skin samples can help doctors understand what type of hair follicle tumour you have.
Diagnosis can be challenging because some hair follicle tumours look pretty similar to skin cancers including basal cell carcinoma. But it is important to diagnose accurately what particular types of hair follicle tumour you have so that you can receive the most suitable treatment.
How are hair follicle tumours treated?
Most hair follicle tumours can be removed successfully with surgery. In some cases, where they are slow growing, patients may not need any treatment but may be monitored to keep an eye on the tumour growth.
Why does research into hair follicle tumours matter?
The better we can diagnose tumours, the easier it is to treat each patient. Because there are lots of different types of hair follicle tumour and they can be easily confused for skin cancers or for other medical conditions, research about them is crucial to reveal new ways to distinguish them.
Hair follicle tumours are rare, and most of the time they are not cancerous. However in some cases they are more dangerous and can spread to other parts of the body, which is why it is crucial for us to better understand the different types of hair follicle tumour, what makes some of them more aggressive, and who is at most risk.
How is Worldwide Cancer Research helping to cure hair follicle tumours?
As a cancer charity, we don't restrict our research to a specific type of cancer. Because of this, our scientists are able to carry out important work that could lead to new cures for particular cancer types, while also discovering more about the fundamental nature of all cancers and tumours.
55% of UK cancer deaths are from rare and less common cancers, so we urgently need to find new cures for them. Despite this, research into rarer types of cancers and tumours is often less funded than more common cancers.
Supporters like you help us fund research anywhere in the world, into any cancer type, so that one day, nobody has to say goodbye too soon - no matter what cancer they are diagnosed with.
FAQs about hair follicle tumours:
Are hair follicle tumours a type of skin cancer?
There are lots of different types of hair follicle tumour and most are not cancerous. Hair follicle tumours can sometimes be confused with skin cancer because they may appear similar, but they behave very differently and need different treatment.
How common are hair follicle tumours?
Hair follicle tumours are not very common and most of the time they are benign, or non-cancerous.
Can a benign hair follicle tumour become cancerous?
Although it is possible for benign hair follicle tumours to become cancerous, this is very rare.
How are hair follicle tumours removed?
The most common treatment for hair follicle tumours is surgery.
Why is research into rare tumours important?
Research into rare tumours, including hair follicle tumours, is very important to help us reach a day when no life is cut short by cancer. 55% of UK cancer deaths are from rare and less common cancers but research for them is often underfunded. Thanks to Curestarters like you, we are able to support research into any cancer type, from the ones you’ve never heard of to the ones you know too well.
The incredible thing about discovery research is that you don’t necessarily know what researchers are going to discover. Curestarters support Worldwide Cancer Research because they know that the most transformative advances often come from unexpected places.
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