Clinical factors predictive for histological aggressiveness of basal cell carcinoma: A prospective study of 2274...

Since surgery is the first-line treatment for basal cell carcinomas (BCC), the histological aggressiveness of the disease must be clinically predicted in order to apply optimal safety margins that ensure a high rate of complete resection while minimising the risk of recurrence.

To evaluate clinical predictive factors of histological aggressiveness of BCC, we conducted a national prospective multi-centre study.

All consecutive patients presenting for BCC surgery were included, and standardised clinical data collected, and slides were submitted for review. Trabecular, micronodular and morpheaform BCCs were classified as aggressive.

Of the 2710 cases included, 2274 were histologically confirmed. Clinical subtyping was correct in 49.9% of superficial BCCs, 86.2% of nodular BCCs and only 22% of aggressive BCCs. By multivariate analysis, aggressive BCCs were more frequently ulcerated (45%), indurated (70%), showed adherence (8.6%), and were associated with high-risk anatomical zones (50.3%, P<0.0001). These predictive clinical features may be helpful for decision making.