[Epidemiologic study of cutaneous cancers in aged persons]

The aging of the population in the developed world is an accepted fact. Consequently, the number of aged patients with cutaneous cancer will increase in coming years.

The objective was to determine the nature of skin cancer occurring in elderly patients.

We retrospectively assessed all patients of 65 years of age and over, with histologically documented skin cancer, in the department of Dermatology of Charles Nicolle hospital of Tunis between 2000 and 2005. We studied sex, age and the type of tumours.

246 patients aged 65 years and over and presenting cutaneous cancers were collected. They represented 57.34% of all cutaneous cancers. The average age was 73 years with a majority (91.46%) between 70 and 85 years. Sex-ratio M/F was 1.82. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) represented 68.2% of all cutaneous cancers in aged persons and 53.84% of all BCC independently of age. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) represented 23.5% of all cutaneous cancers in aged persons and 67.44% of all SCC independently of age. Eight cases (3.25%) of melanomas in aged persons were collected, representing 61.53% of the 13 cases of melanoma during these 5 previous years, independently of age.

More than half of the collected cutaneous cancers during these 5 previous years have occurred in aged persons with a majority between the ages of 70 and 85 years. This is explained by a higher life expectancy in Tunisia. Through this study we conclude that the geriatric patient is at a high risk of developing cutaneous neoplasms especially carcinomas.