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Non-melanoma Skin Cancer

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Surgical Oncology Manual

Abstract

Non-melanoma skin cancers 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 growing 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, topical therapy, local destructive techniques, and radiation therapy.

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Correspondence to Jennifer Racz M.D., M.B.A., F.R.C.S.C. .

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© 2016 University of Toronto General Surgery Oncology Program

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Racz, J., Joshua, A.M., Lipa, J.E., Sun, A., Wright, F.C. (2016). Non-melanoma Skin Cancer. In: Wright, F., Escallon, J., Cukier, M., Tsang, M., Hameed, U. (eds) Surgical Oncology Manual. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26276-5_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26276-5_17

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