Abstract
BackgroundSkin cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide. However, limited studies have been conducted on this disease in Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to describe the prevalence, treatment modalities, and outcomes of skin cancer in a tertiary care hospital in western Saudi Arabia.MethodsA retrospective review of the medical records of all Saudi patients visiting King Abdulaziz Medical City hospital in Jeddah between 1987 and 2016 was performed.ResultsIn total, 132 patients were diagnosed with skin cancer during the study period, however, only 119 cases were analyzed because of missing information. The male-to-female ratio was 1.09:1. The age at diagnosis ranges from 16-94 (mean age: 63.3 years). The most common type of skin cancer was basal cell carcinoma, followed by squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma. The most common anatomical site was the head and neck region. The most common form of treatment modality was surgery. Of the studied patients, 49.6% were cured, 20.2% were in remission, 12.6% relapsed, and 17.6% died.ConclusionsThis study showed an equal male to female ratio with variant cumulative incidence over the years. Surgery was the most common treatment modality and had the highest curative outcome. Primary care physicians should be probed further to raise awareness and screen their patients to ensure early detection of possible skin cancer.
Highlights
Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, primarily from sunlight, is an important factor in causing skin cancer
132 patients were diagnosed with skin cancer during the study period, only 119 cases were analyzed because of missing information
This study showed an equal male to female ratio with variant cumulative incidence over the years
Summary
Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, primarily from sunlight, is an important factor in causing skin cancer. A study in Australia conducted in 1978-1987 reported the case of 8,651 patients with nonmelanoma skin cancer, with patients with BCC accounting for more than two-thirds of the patients (n = 5,803), followed by those with SCC (n = 2,309) [3]. In Singapore, from 1968 to 1997, BCC was the most frequently reported cancer type (n = 2,650), followed by SCC (n = 1,407) and MM (n = 281) [4]. In India, a study investigated 92 patients with skin cancer, where the most frequent cancer type was SCC (n = 40), followed by BCC (n = 30) and MM (n = 13) [8]. This study aimed to describe the prevalence, treatment modalities, and outcomes of skin cancer in a tertiary care hospital in western Saudi Arabia
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