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Non-melanoma Skin Cancer

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Surgical Oncology Manual

Abstract

Non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs) are the most commonly diagnosed cancers in Canadians. Although basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is approximately four to five times more common (80% of non-melanoma skin cancers) than squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (20% of non-melanoma skin cancers), the incidence of both tumor types continues to rise despite increasing awareness of the risk factors. BCC is characterized by local and sometimes disfiguring invasiveness; however, metastasis is rare, occurring in less than 0.05% of cases. SCCs, in contrast, are responsible for the majority of deaths from non-melanoma skin cancers as they have a higher metastatic potential (~5% at 5 years). There are a variety of treatment options for both BCC and SCC including surgical excision, Mohs micrographic surgery, topical therapy, local destructive techniques, and radiation therapy.

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Correspondence to Frances C. Wright .

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Lim, D.W. et al. (2020). Non-melanoma Skin Cancer. In: Wright, F., Escallon, J., Cukier, M., Tsang, M., Hameed, U. (eds) Surgical Oncology Manual. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48363-0_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48363-0_19

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