Fig 4 - uploaded by Chin Chwen Chng
Content may be subject to copyright.
Source publication
Introduction
Skin cancer is ranked the ninth commonest cancer among males and
tenth among females in Malaysia.
Objectives
To review the pattern of skin cancers at University Malaya Medical Centre
(UMMC).
Methods
This is a retrospective review of all histo-pathological confirmed skin
cancers at UMMC from 2004 till 2010.
Results
Among the 155 pat...
Similar publications
Collision or contiguous tumors, defined as two or more distinct tumors occurring at one site, are often an unexpected finding and may represent a diagnostic challenge, as clinical and histological presentations do not always coincide. Various combinations of collision tumors have been described with respect to melanocytic lesions, with the most fre...
Citations
... 16 The incidence rate of disease is inversely related to skin color (Fitzpatrick Skin Types I-VI); therefore, in the local multiracial mix, the incidence of BCCs is higher in Chinese than Malays or Indians. 11,15,17,18 The lower incidence of BCC locally suggests that local GPs may have relatively less experience with diagnosing and treating the disease. Potential for late diagnosis and delayed treatment of BCCs, particularly in the trunk and limbs, has been highlighted. ...
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a common disease of the skin caused principally by prolonged solar radiation exposure. It is normally a malignancy with favorable prognostic features and is potentially curable by standard excision. In White populations with high disease incidence, general practitioners (GPs) play a vital role in diagnosing and managing BCC, including surgical excision. Dedicated care at the primary care level by adequately trained GPs is conceivably cost effective for the health system and more convenient for the patient. In Asia and other parts of the world with low incidence, this valuable role of GPs may appear to be inconsequential. In this regard, any justification for the involvement of local GPs in BCC surgery is debatable. This article aims to provide a clinical update on essential information relevant to BCC surgery and advance understanding of the intricate issues of making a treatment decision at the primary care level.
Case report:
Madam Tan, a 71-year-old Malaysian Chinese lady, otherwise healthy, presented to her local GP with a complaint of a nodule over the left cheek that had been there for more than a decade. Her concern was that the lesion was growing and had become conspicuous. She had spent most of her life as a farmer working in her orchard.Upon examination, she had an obvious dome-shaped nodule over the left cheek measuring approximately 1.8 cm in diameter. The lesion was firm, pigmented, well-demarcated, and slightly ulcerated at the top. Clinically, she was diagnosed with a pigmented nodular basal cell carcinoma of the left cheek. Examination of the systems was unremarkable.She requested that the consulting GP remove the growth. The cost for specialist treatment and waiting time at the local hospital were her concerns.
Clinical questions:
Can the basal cell skin cancer be excised safely and effectively in the local primary care setting? What are the crucial preoperative concerns?
... The male to female ratio distribution for BCCs had increased compared with a study conducted in our centre in 2012 (1.14:1 vs 0.86:1) but decreased for SCCs (1.44:1 vs 3:1). 6 In a single-centre study conducted in Australia, 7 the incidence of BCC was much higher among the male patients (male: female ratio = 3:1). The median age of NMSC presentation was 74.0 years old in our study, slightly older than median age of 69.8 years old in the Australian study. ...
... NMSC diagnosed in our centre showed a significantly higher proportion of head and neck lesions compared with other studies. [6][7][8] Interestingly, in a study conducted in South Australia, there were almost equal numbers of BCCs being diagnosed in other parts of body compared with the head and neck (45.9% vs 54.1%). 7 This difference could be influenced by cultural and religious factors in Malaysia favouring modest clothing, leaving the face more exposed compared with other regions. ...
... There was an increasing number of cases diagnosed during our study period with an average of 45 cases per year, compared with the previous average of 25 cases per year. 6 The duration from skin cancer presentation to diagnosis in our study (12 months) was shorter compared with 42 months previously. 6 This may reflect increased public awareness as well as increased awareness among clinicians with the use of dermoscopy. ...
There has been a rising incidence of skin cancers among Asians in recent years. We present a retrospective analysis of 106 skin cancers and analysed the demography, clinical subtypes of skin cancers and surgical techniques used for skin cancer treatment. In our population, skin cancers were most frequently basal cell carcinomas and diagnosed among ethnic Chinese patients.
