Clinicohistopathological Study of Multiple Basal Cell Carcinomas: A Single-center Study

Lee, Hyun Ju; Kim, Jeong Min; Kim, Gun Wook; Ko, Hyun Chang; Kim, Byung Soo; Kim, Moon Bum; Kim, Hoon Soo

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common malignant skin tumor. Some studies reported that the number of patients who develop more than one BCC is increasing. To date, however, the characteristics of patients with multiple BCCs are not well elucidated in the Korean literature.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the incidence and characteristics of patients with multiple BCCs in Korea.
METHODS
Fifty nine patients confirmed as having more than two BCCs treated in Pusan National University Hospital over a 16-year period were included. We reviewed the clinical records of these patients.
RESULTS
Among a total of 933 patients with BCC treated in our hospital over 16 years, 59 patients (6.3%) had multiple BCCs. Multiple BCCs were identified simultaneously on the date of diagnosis in 41 patients (69.4%), and there was a mean interval of 9.2 months between the first and subsequent lesion. There were 132 BCC lesions in 59 patients, located mainly on nose (39.2%) and cheek (22.5%). Fifty (84.7%) of the 59 patients had the same anatomical site of their BCC lesions, and 9 (15.3%) of 59 patients had a different anatomical site of their BCC lesions.
CONCLUSION
This study showed that subsequent BCCs are located near the first BCC. When encountering patients with BCC, physician should look closely around the lesion with consideration for multiple BCCs. Furthermore, the occurrence of new BCCs as well as recurrence should be evaluated during follow-up.