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Clinical and pathological features associated with high-risk, multiple, and recurrent basal cell carcinomas: a retrospective cohort analysis from the Levantine coast of the Mediterranean Sea

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Abstract

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) data coming from the Levantine coast of the Mediterranean Sea are limited. The study aimed to primarily analyze the demographic, clinical, pathological, and prognostic characteristics of BCC in this region of the world and secondarily identify features associated with high-risk, recurrent, or multiple BCCs. Patients with at least one diagnosis of BCC registered in the pathology department between January 2015 and December 2019 were included in this analytical retrospective single-center cohort study. Patients with basal cell nevus syndrome were excluded. Patients’ characteristics and pathological features were collected through file check for a first analysis. Risk factors and evolution were sought through a phone call interview for the second analysis. The first analysis included 506 BCCs corresponding to 365 patients with a mean age of 65 ± 15 years, twenty-two (6%) were less than 40 years old, 180 (49.3%) were women, and 85 (23.3%) had two or more BCCs. The second analysis included 279 BCCs corresponding to 205 patients. Periorificial and infiltrative BCCs were more frequent in men. Periorificial tumors were more frequently nodular or infiltrative and were associated with recurrence. Tumors with perineural involvement were histologically never nodular nor superficial. Recurrence was more frequent in BCCs having periorificial location, a size larger than 2 cm, or an infiltrative subtype. Multiple BCCs were more frequent in patients with light skin type or familial history of skin cancer. High-risk BCCs were more common in patients with low sun exposure.

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Abbreviations

BCC:

Basal cell carcinoma

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Author notes

  1. Boutros Soutou and Carine Massih have equally contributed to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dermatology department, School of Medicine, Université Saint-Joseph, and Hôtel-Dieu de France University Hospital, Hôtel-Dieu de France, Boulevard Alfred Naccache, Beirut, 16-6830, Lebanon

    Boutros Soutou, Carine Massih, Josiane Helou, Farid Stéphan, Maya Halabi-Tawil & Roland Tomb

  2. Statistics department, School of Medicine, Université Saint-Joseph, and Hôtel-Dieu de France University Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon

    Ghassan Sleilaty

  3. Pathology department, School of Medicine, Université Saint-Joseph, and Hôtel-Dieu de France University Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon

    Viviane Trak-Smayra

  4. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Department, School of Medicine, Université Saint-Joseph, and Hôtel-Dieu de France University Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon

    Marwan Nasr, Nabil Hokayem, Fady Ferran & Fadi H. Sleilati

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  1. Boutros Soutou
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Correspondence to Boutros Soutou or Carine Massih.

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Soutou, B., Massih, C., Sleilaty, G. et al. Clinical and pathological features associated with high-risk, multiple, and recurrent basal cell carcinomas: a retrospective cohort analysis from the Levantine coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Arch Dermatol Res 315, 51–59 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-021-02316-w

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