An audit of the completeness of non-melanoma skin cancer registration in Greater Glasgow

Abstract

The incidence of basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma (non-melanoma skin cancer) is increasing in the U.K., and the importance of this has been recognized in the 'Health of the Nation' target of halting the annual increase in the incidence of skin cancer by the year 2005. An accurate assessment of incidence is necessary both in meeting this target and in planning skin cancer services. We have examined the ways in which basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are diagnosed and treated in Greater Glasgow and have determined how many of these tumours are, recorded by the West of Scotland Cancer Registry. Our results show that there is under-registration of both basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Overall, 39 of 127 basal cell carcinomas (31%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 23-39%) and 11 of 25 squamous cell carcinomas (44%; CI 26-63%) were not registered by the cancer registry. We also showed that dermatologists rarely treat clinically suspicious tumours without obtaining pathological proof of the diagnosis. Accurate data collection by selected representative cancer registries is suggested as a possible solution.

The photocarcinogenic risk of narrowband UVB (TL-01) phototherapy: early follow-up data

“…Under-reporting of cancers, especially nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC), is widely acknowledged. [7][8][9] Registration of MM is probably almost complete because of the Scottish Melanoma Group register. 10 This study was designed to detect any large, early, increased skin cancer risk that might be associated with TL-01 alone.…”

Nonmelanoma skin cancer in the Federal State of Saarland, Germany, 1995–1999

“…A limitation of our study results is the potential underestimation of the incidence rates due to incomplete registration of NMSCs that has been found by other cancer registries (Lucke et al, 1997;Hannuksela-Svahn et al, 1999;Maudsley and Williams, 1999). Unlike most other epithelial cancers, a large proportion of NMSC (Green, 1992) hampering the population-based registration of these tumours via pathology departments by the cancer registry.…”

“…Epidemiologic studies of these tumours have been limited by the fact that most patients are customarily seen and treated in the offices of physicians and not hospitalised (Scotto et al, 1983). Since the primary source of data for cancer registries is the in-patient hospital file, routinely collected statistics on NMSC are usually incomplete and not comparable with other forms of cancer (Scotto et al, 1996;Lucke et al, 1997). In addition, many cancer registries do not collect information on BCC and the incidence is often determined on the basis of surveys (e.g.…”

Outdoor work and skin cancer incidence: a registry-based study in Bavaria

“…Denmark (The Danish Board of National Health 2001). Internationally, under-reporting of NMSC has been attributed to the following reasons: Wnancial burden of registering very large numbers of tumours (Lucke et al 1997), treatment without histological conWrmation of the diagnosis (Diepgen and Mahler 2002), frequent out-patient treatment (Maudsley and Williams 1999), no treatment due to lack of symptoms (Hoey et al 2007), and under-estimation of the true incidence rates due to (1) lack of suYciently detailed topography codes in patients with multiple NMSC, and (2) the international convention of registering only the Wrst occurrence of each cancer type in each patient (Stang et al 2007).…”