Abstract
BACKGROUND:
We have noted
a high frequency of aggressive-growth basal cell carcinomas (BCCS) in our
patient population. Subtypes observed with increased frequency include
morpheaform, infiltrative, and micronodular.
OBJECTIVE:
Our purpose
was to examine the frequency of histologic subtypes of all BCCs seen in the
dermatology clinics in the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System in an
18-month period.
METHODS:
We reviewed
432 consecutive primary BCC biopsy specimens taken from 252 patients.
RESULTS:
Aggressive-growth
BCC was observed in 20.7% of biopsy specimens, including 13.4% morpheaform,
5.7% infiltrative, and 1.6% micronodular subtypes. The mean age of the patient
population was 70 years, with a standard deviation of 9.1 years.
CONCLUSION:
Our observed
percentage of aggressive-growth BCC is substantially higher than in most other
large studies. A high frequency of aggressive-growth BCC coupled with the
increasing incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer may have significant
implications for future health care resource allocation.
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