Incidence and determinants of skin cancer in a high‐risk australian population

Abstract

In a Queensland community, we surveyed the incidence of basal-cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC), and associated risk factors. In December, 1986, 2,095 residents were examined by dermatologists for skin cancer. Of these, 1,770 further participated in a follow-up postal survey in December, 1987, regarding all skin cancers in the preceding 2 years, and 87 reported being treated for skin cancer in the 2-year period between December 1985 and November 1987. The estimated annual incidence rates of non-melanoma skin cancer in men and women aged 20-69 years were 2,389/100,000 and 1,908/100,000 respectively, with an overall ratio of BCC cases to SCC cases of 4.5 to one. While both tumour types occurred more commonly in fair-complexioned people, the risk associated with high sun exposure was greater for SCC than for BCC. Clinical signs of solar skin damage, especially the number of solar keratoses on the face, were the strongest predictors of both types of skin cancer.

Risk factors for basal cell carcinoma: a case-control study

“…This fact was expected and is consistent with the findings 15,24,26 registered in the literature demonstrating that sunburn is a risk factor for malignant melanoma but not for non-melanoma cancer. In a previous investigation in which they studied the sunburns of their patients quantitatively, Green et al 16 were only able to detect a discrete significance for non-melanoma skin cancer when the number of reported sunburns was of more than six episodes during the patient's life.…”

“…Vitaliano and Urbach 34 in the USA, and Green and Battistutta 15 , in Australia, conducted studies of the risk factors by applying multiple conditional logistic regression analysis, which is a more adequate statistical model. Their studies referred to non-melanoma skin cancer in general and their results regarding BCC will be discussed below.…”

“…However, significance for light hair color as a risk factor has been reported in the international literature 11,15,18 . According to the data of the present study, light hair color was nonsignificant by multiple conditional logistic regression analysis, with an odds ratio of 1.16.…”

“…Few studies are available on the risk factors for BCC 15,18,34 . Since the risk factors for the development of BCC are related not only to genetic (constitutional) characteristics but also to environmental aspects, it may be assumed that differences will occur between populations and between ecological conditions.…”

The multicentre south European study 'Helios'. II: Different sun exposure patterns in the aetiology of basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas of the skin

“…In general, cumulative lifetime sun exposure has a clearer effect on SCC than on BCC (Vitasa et al, 1990;Gafa et al, 1991). The studies that considered circumstance of exposure showed that sun exposure during work was associated more strongly with SCC than BCC (Green and Battistutta, 1990;Gafa et al, 1991). Exposure during nonworking activities has been studied rarely in non-melanocytic skin cancer and has not generally been quantified satisfactorily, thus failing to show clear results.…”