Prevalence and risk factors for high-frequency basal cell carcinoma in the United States

Abstract

To the Editor: Rare genetic diseases such as basal cell nevus syndrome (BCNS) or Gorlin syndrome are known to predispose patients to early-onset, high-frequency basal cell carcinoma (HF-BCC).1 However, there are patients who develop unusually frequent BCCs but who do not harbor germline mutations in PTCH1 or SUFU or meet the clinical phenotypes of known genetic syndromes. A retrospective study of patients with BCC at Stanford evaluated with genetic testing and pathology found that among patients with nonsyndromic BCC monitored for 5 to 10 years, 3% of patients developed 9 or more BCCs.