Head and neck basal cell carcinoma: treatment using a 2-mm clinical excision margin

Abstract

Treatment of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) should completely remove the tumour whilst preserving the maximum amount of normal surrounding skin. Therefore, treatment is a compromise between safe excision margins and obtaining a satisfactory cosmetic result. We report the results of a prospective study of 63 patients who underwent excision of well-demarcated BCCs in the head and neck region. The surgical excision margin used was 2 mm. Histological assessment confirmed complete excision in 95% and there was no evidence of recurrence of the BCC over a 24-month follow-up period in all patients. We propose that a clinical excision margin of 2 mm is adequate for treatment of simple, well demarcated BCCs arising in the head and neck.

Efficacy of narrow-margin excision of well-demarcated primary facial basal cell carcinomas

“…Our choice of margins was based on previous studies of 1-to 2-mm margins for small primary BCCs. 3,14 We, however, found that narrow-margin elliptical excision with margins up to 3 mm is only 80% effective in clearing these tumors. This is well below the 95% standard for tumor clearance that is expected in cutaneous surgical oncology.…”

Survival and aesthetic outcome of local flaps used for reconstruction of face defects after excision of skin malignancies: Multi-institutional experience of 175 cases

“…BBC mainly due to cumulative sun exposure over long time and many lines of treatment have been practiced including surgical excision, radiotherapy, electro-dissection, Mohs 16 technique, cryosurgery and curettage 4,12 . This study shows that, surgery is the main line of treatment practiced by surgeons for BCC and it shows the incidence of BBC in non-melanoma skin cancer is about 85%.…”

Mohs' kirurgi ved basalcellekarsinom i ansiktet

“…Det finnes imidlertid ingen konsensus om adekvate marginer ved vanlig eksisjon -alt fra 2 mm til 15 mm er anbefalt (27,28,38,39). Det finnes mange studier der man har forsøkt å definere hva som er adekvate marginer, men i disse studiene er verken svulstene eller pasientene godt nok beskrevet for å kunne trekke sikre konklusjoner.…”