Basal cell carcinomas without histological confirmation and their treatment: an audit in four European regions

摘要: Summary Background  Limited data are available on how often basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) clinically diagnosed without histological confirmation and they treated. Objectives  Within the framework of EPIDERM project, an audit was conducted in four European countries to study occurrence BCCs investigate these treated. Methods  In Netherlands, Scotland, Finland Malta studies were performed within different timeframes. Patients with one or more BCC(s) selected number their treatment investigated by (manually) reviewing (electronic) patient records checking (hospital) pathology databases find evidence confirmation. Results  1089 patients a first histologically confirmed BCC developed 1974 which 1833 (92·9%) 141 (7·1%) not. A 4-month retrospective Scotland 294 344 BCCs; 306 (89·0%) 38 (11·0%) 3-month prospective at same centre identified 44 who 58 (75·9%) 14 (24·1%) Finland, there 701 977 BCCs, 807 (82·6%) 170 (17·4%) nonhistologically confirmed. Malta, 420 477 BCCs. Only three (0·7%) them confirmation. Netherlands most treated cryotherapy, whereas 5% imiquimod cream preferred modality. Conclusions  Although frequency differed between regions (range 0·7–24·1%), this confirms that burden Europe is underestimated when based from and/or cancer registries.