Epidemiology and aetiology of basal cell carcinoma.
Roewert-Huber, J. *; Lange-Asschenfeldt, B. *; Stockfleth, E. *; Kerl, H. +
[Article] British Journal of Dermatology. 157 supplement 2:47-51, December 2007.

(Format: HTML, PDF)

Summary: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a malignant epithelial neoplasm of the skin preferentially affecting male caucasians and is rarely observed in patients with more intense skin pigmentation. A characteristic feature of BCCs are their extremely low risk to metastasize. Epidemiological data indicate that the overall incidence is increasing worldwide significantly by about 3-10% per annum. 1-3 Based on the increasing incidence of this usually not life-threatening tumour BCC appears to develop into a growing public health problem. This review elucidates the risk factors for the development and for the progression of BCC leading to an improved understanding of this tumour.

(C) 2007 British Association of Dermatologists