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Other skin tumours

Basal cell carcinoma

  • Commonest skin malignancy
  • Occurs on sun exposed skin
  • Commonest site face above line from angle of mouth to ear
  • Predisposing factors:
    • Xeroderma pigmentosa
    • Radiotherapy
  • BCC are locally invasive
  • They rarely metastasise

Clinical types

  • Nodular or Noduloulcerative
  • Cystic
  • Pigmented
  • Sclerosing
  • Cicatrical
  • Superficial
Basal cell carcinoma Basal cell carcinoma

Treatment

  • Local excision with 0.5 cm margins
  • May require full thickness graft
  • Radiotherapy
  • Mohs Surgery
  • Cure rate > 95%

Squamous cell carcinoma

  • Second commonest cutaneous malignancy
  • Commonest site - face & hands
  • Arises from keratinising cell layer

Predisposing factors

  • Solar keratoses
  • Bowen's Disease
  • Viral warts
  • Chronic ulceration or sinuses ( = Marjolin's ulcers)
  • Appear as keratotic nodule with ulcerated centre

A squamous cell carcinoma

Differential diagnosis

  • Keratoacanthoma
  • Basal cell carcinoma
  • Amelanotic melanomas
  • Skin adnexal tumours

Treatment

  • Wide local excision and possible elective lymph node dissection

Bibliography

Alam M,  Rotner D.  Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.  N Engl J Med 2001;  344:  975-983.

Campbell F A,  Gupta G.  The management of non-melanoma skin cancer.  Hosp Med 2005;  66:  288-293.

Holt P J A, Motley R J. The treatment of basal cell carcinoma. Curr Pract Surg 1994; 6: 98 - 101.

Ruben A I,  Chen E H,  Ratner D.  Basal-cell carcinoma.  N Engl J Med 2005;  353:  2262-2269.

Telfer N R, Colver G B, Bowers P W. Guidelines for the management of basal cell carcinoma.  Br J Dermatol 1999; 141: 415-423.

 

 
 

Last updated: 03 January 2010

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