Basal cell carcinoma in Turkey

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of cancer in Caucasians. This study was undertaken to define clinical features of BCC treated by surgical excision in Turkish patients. One-hundred and ninety-eight patients with 216 BCC, all treated by surgical excision, were studied prospectively. Age and sex distribution, personal and family history, skin type, site and size of the lesions, clinical type of the lesions, status of surgical margins and incidence of recurrence were analyzed. The male to female ratio was 9:10, and the average age of the patients was 64.5 years. Of the tumors, 91.5% occurred on the head and neck. There was also personal and/or family history of cancer in 24.8% of our cases. Of all BCC treated, 83.8% had a noduloulcerative clinical appearance. The vast majority of our patients were Fitzpatrick type 3 (53.0%) and type 2 (41.5%). There were seven recurrences after follow-up periods varying between 3 months and 2 years. In conclusion, clinical characteristics of BCC in Turkish patients have both similarities and differences compared with other countries.