Evaluation of the Demographic and Clinical Features of Skin Cancers: A Single-Center Experience

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to present the clinical and demographic features of patients who underwent skin cancer surgery at our center during the last 10 years. Localization, age, sex, and subtype mapping of head and neck cancers were particularly evaluated.
Methods: A retrospective evaluation was conducted of the patient data recorded over the last 10 years in the information processing system of our institute. Age, sex, tumor localization, and subtype, if indicated, were recorded.
Results: The data of 455 patients were obtained from the our hospital archive scan. Of these, 342 (75.1%) patients had basal cell carcinoma (BCC), 99 (21.8%) had squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 6 (1.3%) had basosquamous cell carcinoma (BSCC), and 8 (1.8%) had malignant melanoma (MM). BCC was most commonly found in men (M/F: 175/167) and the nasal region. SCC was seen more frequently in men (M/F: 52/47) and the cheeks. BSCC was most common on the cheek (3 patients, 50%) and MM (4 patients, 50%) on the scalp.
Conclusion: There are very few epidemiological studies on skin cancers throughout the world and especially in Turkey. This study showed that SCC was more common in men and located on the cheek, whereas MM was found to be more common on the scalp. Residents of the Çukurova region, an eastern Mediterranean region, are exposed to high levels of sunlight. We believe that the difference in demographic and clinical features of skin cancers in this region may be due to this.