Skin cancer in the elderly – epidemiological, clinical and surgical treatment analysis of 254 patients

Abstract

A b s t r a c t I In nt tr ro od du uc ct ti io on n: : The incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) and melanoma is increasing rapidly in the European population. There are only a few reports about cutaneous malignancy in the elderly population. A Ai im m: : Epidemiological, clinical, histopathological and surgical treatment result analysis of skin cancers in patients over 75 years old. M Ma at te er ri ia al l a an nd d m me et th ho od ds s: : A group of 254 patients over 75 years old operated on during 2002-2006 in the Department of Dermatology, Venerology and Allergology of the Medical University of Gdansk was included in the study. Sex ratio F/M was 1.2. The average age was 81.1 years old. R Re es su ul lt ts s: : Patients over 75 years old comprised 40% of all operated patients because of malignancy in the analyzed period. Non-melanoma skin cancer were diagnosed in 92.5% of cases, melanoma in 5.9%. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) was the most common malignancy, diagnosed in 72% of the patients. The incidence of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) was statistically significantly higher compared to the general population (20.5% vs. 10.9%; p = 0.0002). BCC/SCC ratio was 3.5. In 39 patients (16.6%) multiple NMSC were observed. Exposure to UV radiation was the most common (52%) risk factor of cutaneous malignancy. The local recurrence rate of NMSC was 5.51%. C Co on nc cl lu us si io on ns s: : The incidence of skin cancers in the northern Polish population over 75 years old is increasing. The clinical and histopathological profile of skin cancer in the elderly differs from the general population. Surgical treatment is safe and effective management in these cases.K Ke ey y w wo or rd ds s: : skin malignancy, advanced aged patients, surgical treatment.

Aetiological, Clinical and Histopathological Study of Basal Cell Carcinomas- At Rangaraya Medical College, Kakinada

“…BCCs are more common in the elderly age group. In recent years, the incidence rate has increased significantly in younger patients and in females according to De Vries et al [11] and Sobjanek et al [12] Most common age group in our study is less than 60 years (60%) followed by > 60 years (40%). This closely resembles the findings in a study in North India.…”

Skin disorders in elderly subjects

“…Approximately 75–80% of cases of NMSC refer to BCC, which is diagnosed in 800,000 patients annually in the USA; although BCC is typical in elderly subjects, its average age of onset is constantly decreasing. Polish research has revealed that cutaneous malignancies have become more common in the Polish population over recent decades . The present research reports the occurrence of malignant skin neoplasms in 17.7% of examined patients.…”

“…Polish research has revealed that cutaneous malignancies have become more common in the Polish population over recent decades. 34 The present research reports the occurrence of malignant skin neoplasms in 17.7% of examined patients. Remarkably, 85.7% of these malignancies were diagnosed in patients hospitalized on the dermatology ward, which emphasizes the fact that cutaneous malignancies are a common reason for admission to dermatology departments in elderly patients.…”

Basal cell carcinoma in farmers: an occupation group at high risk

“…At diagnosis, most patients are in their sixth and seventh decade of life and men are twice as likely to develop BCC. The incidence of BCC has tripled in the last 30 years (Staples et al 2006 ) and, in recent years, the incidence rate has increased significantly in younger patients and in females (De Vries et al 2004 ; Sobjanek et al 2012 ) due to the increasing use of artificial sources of ultraviolet radiation (UVR), primarily solar beds (Werher et al 2012 ).…”