Associations between ultraviolet radiation, basal cell carcinoma site and histology, host characteristics, and rate of development of further tumors.

BACKGROUND

Patients with basal cell carcinoma (BCC) frequently develop further tumors during follow-up.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to elucidate the relative effects of pattern of ultraviolet radiation exposure, and site and histologic type of the first tumor, on the rate of increase in BCC numbers.

METHODS

We used negative binomial regression analysis to study the association of selected variables on the rate of increase in BCC numbers in 266 Caucasian patients who first presented with a tumor on the head/neck or trunk with nodular or superficial histology.

RESULTS

Patients with an initial truncal BCC with superficial histology demonstrated significantly faster increases in BCC numbers than did patients with other site and histology combinations.

CONCLUSIONS

These data indicate that site and histology define subsets of patients with BCC.