Nonmelanoma skin cancer in Saudi Arabia: single center experience

BACKGROUND: Skin cancer is the most common cancer worldwide; one in every three diagnosed malignancies is a skin cancer. However, skin cancer is rarely reported in Saudi Arabia so we conducted this study to highlight these underreported neoplasms. OBJECTIVES: Determine the prevalence and patterns of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and primary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), the most common types of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) with respect to age, sex, and anatomic location and to identify potentially associated risk factors. DESIGN: Retrospective, descriptive medical record review. SETTING: A tertiary care centre. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We did a retrospective chart review of all patients diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma and primary squamous cell carcinoma between 2003–2016. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence and pattern of BCC and SCC with respect to age, sex, and anatomic location. RESULTS: Of 593 cases reviewed, 279 had NMSC. Most (95%) were diagnosed with BCC or SCC or both in a few cases. The mean age at diagnosis was 59 (19.5) years. Sixty-two percent of the patients were males. However, 24.3% (n=68) of skin cancers occurred in patients younger than 50 years. The frequency of BCC and SCC was 50.2% and 44.8%, respectively. The head and neck was the most common location (79.6%). In patients younger than 50 years, xeroderma pigmentosum and previously treated solid malignancies were the major factors. CONCLUSIONS: BCC and SCC are uncommon but not rare. However, skin cancers are underreported in our population. NMSC in individuals younger than 50 years of age requires more careful evaluation of possible risk factors. LIMITATIONS: Retrospective in a single tertiary care setting.