What causes basal cell carcinoma to be the commonest cancer?

Abstract

We conducted a hospital‐based case‐control study in Brisbane, Queensland, to investigate the specific determinants of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), as distinct from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), with emphasis on ancestry, residential history, pigmentary characteristics, sun sensitivity and other constitutional factors. The sample was recruited from a dermatology outpatient clinic during an eight‐week period in 1991, and comprised 51 incident or recently diagnosed cases of BCC, and 112 randomly selected controls with no known history of BCC or SCC. Twenty‐six cases with both BCC and SCC were analysed separately. We found no risk factor specific to BCC which might explain its extremely high prevalence. The strongest risk factors for BCC were advanced age, male sex and a propensity to freckle (independent of skin colour and tendency to burn), all of which have previously been observed for SCC. A finding not previously reported was an apparent protective effect of increasing body mass, specific to BCC alone.

Incidence of eyelid basal cell carcinoma in England: 2000–2010

“…Previous studies have reported a higher incidence of BCCs in men relative to women across the body as a whole 1 14. Our data focused specifically on periocular BCCs (eyelid including the canthi) and we found partial concordance with these previous studies.…”

“…This is in keeping with previous reports of BCCs more broadly across the body as a whole 13. It has been postulated that this is in part due to cumulative damage from ultraviolet radiation (sun damage) with resultant DNA damage along with a potential reduction in DNA repair mechanisms 14. With increasing life expectancy and increased duration of exposure to risk factors, the overall burden of BCC is not likely to diminish.…”

Epidemiology of basal cell carcinoma in the United Kingdom: incidence, lifestyle factors, and comorbidities

“…The relationship between overweight and a decreased BCC risk has already been reported by others (Gilbody et al , 1994; van Dam et al , 1999; Gerstenblith et al , 2012; Pothiawala et al , 2012). It has been proposed that obese individuals engage less in physical activity, therefore spend less time outdoors, and wear less revealing clothing, which leads to reduced sun exposure of the skin.…”

Malignant Eyelid Tumors in India: A Study of 536 Asian Indian Patients

“…Overall, BCC is the most common malignant eyelid tumor in the world [1, 40], with a male predilection [41]. However, it has been reported that eyelid BCC is more common in young females (< 50 years) [39].…”