Abstract 872: Skin cancers in African albinos: A cause for public concern

Abstract

Abstract Purpose: Skin cancers are uncommon in the black Africans and as such there is little or no formal preventive program against skin cancer in most parts of Africa. In Albinos who live in tropical Africa however, skin cancers are not uncommon and their effects could be devastating. The aim of this report therefore is to evaluate the occurrence of skin cancers in albinos and to highlight the factors that make skin cancers in them a public health issue. Methods: All patients with clinical suspicion of skin cancers presenting to a major tertiary center in Nigeria were referred to the plastic surgery division of the hospital for evaluation. The chart of all albinos referred to this division between 1989 and 2009 were reviewed. Analysis was done with the aid of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) computer software. Results: There were 32 patients comprising 20 males and 12 females. Most of the patients were either unemployed or engaged in a low income earning occupation. The mean duration of symptoms at the time of presentation was 21.3 months. Many had multiple lesions at presentation with an average of 3 lesions per patient. The average diameter of the lesions was 8.8cm. Over 80% of the lesions were ulcerated and were located in the head and neck region. Majority of the patients had associated lymph node and surrounding contiguous tissues involvement and therefore requires major reconstructive surgery following tumor excision. Conclusion: Skin cancers constitute a major health concern in albinos who live in tropical Africa. Majority of the patients present with advanced disease that require major reconstructive surgery for disease control. There is need for institution of educational programs on preventive measures and early medical consultation in order to reduce the tumor burden in this region. Note: This abstract was not presented at the AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010 because the presenter was unable to attend. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 872.