[Incidence of undiagnosed skin cancers in a geriatric hospital]

The incidence of non melanoma skin cancers is closely correlated with age. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the prevalence of undiagnosed skin cancers among patients hospitalized in rehabilitation and long-term care units in a geriatric hospital.

All the patients, resident in four rehabilitation and long-term care units and for whom no dermatological advice had been given, were systematically examined by a dermatologist. Clinical data included patient age at the time of the study, gender, relevant historical information, skin phototype and description of the cutaneous lesions. Biopsies were performed for all lesions of suspicious appearance.

Three hundred and six patients (79.4% women and 20.6% men aged from 55 to 103 years) were included in the study. Among all the patients, 69.3% were hospitalized for more than one year. Skin phototype was clear for 93.5% of the patients. Thirty-two out of 306 patients (10.5%) presented 42 suspicious lesions and these were diagnosed by histological examination as 16 basal-cell carcinomas, seven squamous cell-carcinomas and two in situ melanomas. Skin cancers were localised on the head and neck in 80% of cases. The prevalence of patients with skin cancers was 5.6% in this population.

The prevalence of skin cancers among patients hospitalized in geriatric hospitals justifies improved training of geriatricians regarding early recognition and dermatological assessment of cutaneous tumours.