Failure to achieve negative margin ups facial BCC recurrence

(HealthDay)—Large tumor diameter, increased age, and failure to achieve negative margin resection at the first surgical appointment are all associated with increased risk of recurrence of facial basal cell carcinoma (BCC), according to a study published online July 15 in the International Journal of Dermatology.

Matthias Troeltzsch, M.D., from Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, and colleagues conducted a retrospective study to examine the correlations between clinical, pathologic, and therapeutic parameters of facial BCC and recurrence rates. Patients who presented with facial BCC and received surgical treatment were included for further review. Data were included for 71 patients (29 female, 42 male; average age, 71.76 years) who met all inclusion criteria.

The researchers found that all BCCs had been referred and about half (50.7 percent) had been submitted to previous surgery. The mean tumor diameter was 2.3 ± 1.8 cm. Overall, 15.5 percent of patients had recurrence of BCC. Recurrence rates were significantly increased with large tumor diameter, increased patient age, and failure to achieve negative margin resection at the first surgical appointment.

"Complete facial BCC excision at the first surgical appointment is pivotal in reducing the likelihood of recurrence," the authors write. "The influence of the anatomic location of facial BCC on recurrence rates may be limited."

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