Anatomic Features of Head and Neck Keratinocyte Cancer in Virginia.

BACKGROUND

Keratinocyte cancer (KC) patients benefit from early diagnosis. We describe here the anatomy of head/neck KCs to help guide screening efforts.

OBJECTIVE

To examine lesion frequency and anatomic distribution of head and neck KC.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study of 4,770 consecutive pathology reports, 1998 to 2015, analyzes 5,463 head and neck KCs (3,664 basal cell carcinoma [BCC], 1,259 squamous cell carcinoma [SCC], and 540 SCC in situ) from 3,581 patients.

RESULTS

Basal cell carcinoma relative tumor density (RTD) was highest on the nose; SCC RTD was highest on the cheek. Basal cell carcinoma-to-SCC ratio was highest on eyelid and lowest on scalp. Temple, ear, and neck SCC predominated in men; nose and cheek SCC in women. Scalp, temple, and ear BCC showed male predominance, while cheek, nose, and chin predominated in women. Left-sided ear SCC in situ and BCC were more common than right-sided ear lesions.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates gender- and laterality-specific differences that comport with patterns of solar exposure.