Plastic surgery for basal cell carcinoma. A clinical and histopathological study of basal cell carcinomas

During the period 1968-1973 70 patients with 79 basal cell carcinomas were admitted to the Division of Plastic Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital. Many of these tumours were primarily treated elsewhere or sent to plastic surgery at the stage when radical surgery was no longer possible. 31 of these primary tumours developed into 70 recurrent tumours. Twelve tumours had highly destructive features. In order to evaluate the frequency of various histological growth patterns in recurring basal cell carcinoma a retrospective study was performed. It became clear that the histological growth pattern was no guide to the rate of recurrence and prognosis. The histological growth pattern of the sclerosing type was found more often in recurrent tumours, possibly a consequence of previous radiotherapy. The incidence of radiotherapy as an initial method of treatment was higher in the group of patients with primary tumours who developed recurrences. Inadequate excision margins were found more often in the same group.