[Skin cancer]

The authors, using the Cancer Registry data of S. Antonio General Hospital in Oporto, selected the cancer cases from 1981 to 1993. Distribution according to age, sex, topography and morphology is presented. Seven point nine percent of the 12,124 cases mentioned in the Registry were skin cancers (n = 883). They were mostly on the face (56.8%), trunk (11.7%) and scalp and neck (7.7%). As for the type of tumour, 472 basaliomas, 231 squamous cell carcinomas and 63 melanomas were recorded. One may conclude that basaliomas and squamous cell cancers arise at a later age than melanomas; melanomas are more frequent on the lower limbs and on the trunk; squamous cell carcinomas are more frequent on the face and lips. Basalioma is more frequent on the face. These results are in accordance with those published internationally.