Patients who receive a diagnosis of the skin cancer basal cell carcinoma at a younger age – along with those who have red hair, a higher socioeconomic status and a cancerous lesion on their upper extremities – appear to be at higher risk of developing multiple cancers and require closer follow-up, according to a new report from the Netherlands.
Risk factors for the disease include older age, being male, race and genetic predisposition, which may interact with UV light exposure or other environmental hazards.
Patients with basal cell carcinoma lesions were identified from Dutch national records and potential risk factors were determined when individuals entered the study.
A total of 524 (4.8 per cent) individuals in both cohorts had basal cell carcinoma, of whom 361 had single lesions and 163 (31.1 per cent) had multiple lesions. Individuals who developed their first lesion after age 75 were significantly less likely to develop multiple lesions, whereas red hair and a first lesion located on the upper extremities was associated with a significantly increased risk of developing multiple lesions.
In contrast to developing a first lesion, high educational level was significantly positively associated with developing multiple lesions, it was found.
Archives of Dermatology
2010;146:848-855
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