The correlation between tumor thickness and aggressive histopathological pattern in Basal cell carcinoma

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Oncology
• Pathology

Background:

• The prognostic significance of tumor thickness in basal cell carcinoma (BCC) remains unclear.
• This study investigates the correlation between BCC tumor thickness and aggressive histopathological growth patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if increased tumor thickness is associated with aggressive histological features in basal cell carcinoma.
• To explore the utility of tumor thickness measurement for pathological risk assessment in BCC.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 85 primary BCCs from 82 patients.
• Histopathological evaluation of tumor slides to record subtype, ulceration, perineural invasion, and tumor thickness.
• Classification of tumors into aggressive (infiltrative, micronodular, morpheaform, basosquamous) and non-aggressive growth patterns.

Main Results:

• Aggressive growth patterns were observed in 26.9% of tumors (mean thickness 2.19 ± 0.71 mm).
• Non-aggressive patterns were found in 73% of tumors (mean thickness 1.76 ± 0.87 mm).
• A statistically significant difference in mean tumor thickness was found between aggressive and non-aggressive BCCs (p=0.033).

Conclusions:

• Tumor thickness shows a potential positive correlation with aggressive histological patterns in BCC.
• Measuring and reporting tumor thickness may offer a practical method for assessing pathological risk in basal cell carcinoma.