Patient Factors and Their Association with Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Morbidity and the Performance of Self-skin Exams: A Cross-Sectional Study

• Published in: The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology 2016-09, Vol.9 (9), p.16-22
• Main Authors: Amber, Kyle T, Bloom, Romi, Abyaneh, Mohammad-Ali Yazdani, Falto-Aizpurua, Leyre A, Viera, Martha, Zaiac, Martin N, Nouri, Keyvan, Hu, Shasa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1941-2789

Mohs micrographic surgery is widely utilized for the treatment of nonmelanoma skin cancers with the advantage of tissue sparing and higher cure rate. The preoperative tumor size and post-Mohs micrographic surgery defect size are useful surrogate measures of nonmelanoma skin cancer morbidity. The authors sought to evaluate whether gender, Hispanic ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sun-safe practices and self-skin exams affected tumor size and Mohs micrographic surgery defect size. They also investigated factors associated with self-skin exams. A cross-sectional survey-based study. Two dermatologic surgery clinics-one academic-associated and the other private. Patients receiving Mohs surgery for nonmelanoma skin cancers. Tumor size and Mohs defect size and their relationship to patient factors ascertained from a survey, as well as the number of patients performing self-skin exams. The authors used t-tests and analysis of variance to compare tumor and defect sizes for each patient factor. Chi-squared tests were used to determine the factors associated with self-skin exams performance. Lower education was associated with greater head and face tumor area (95mm vs. 41mm , =0.019), but not Mohs micrographic surgery defect size. Other studied patient factors were not associated with an increased morbidity. Hispanics performed self-skin exams at a lower rate than non-Hispanics (27% vs. 46%, =0.03). This study innovatively uses tumor and Mohs micrographic surgery defect area as a measure of morbidity, allowing for identification of populations at need for improved education and prevention. ( 2016;9(9):16-22.).