The Incidence of Precancerous and Cancerous Skin Lesions: A Retrospective Multicenter Study

Abstract

Objective: As the frequency of skin cancers continues to increase, the aim of this study was to determine the incidence of precancerous and cancerous skin lesions diagnosed and treated during 2016 at the dermatology outpatient clinics of 3 private hospitals in 3 cities in Turkey.Methods: All of the patients who presented at 3 outpatient clinics located in the Marmara and Anatolian regions of Turkey in 2016 were retrospectively evaluated. Patients with precancerous and cancerous skin lesions were identified via the relevant International Classification of Diseases code, and sociodemographic and clinical features were obtained from their medical records.Results: Among the 21,085 patients who presented at the 3 study centers, there were 81 cases of precancerous or cancerous skin lesions. The annual combined incidence of precancerous and cancerous skin lesions was 0.38%. The incidence of precancerous lesions (n=58) was 0.27%, while it was 0.11% (n=23) for cancerous lesions.Conclusion: The prevalence of precancerous and cancerous skin lesions is increasing worldwide. The results of this study were consistent with the findings previously detected in this country and worldwide. This study included patients from only 2 regions of Turkey, but the findings could be used as a reference for dermatology outpatient clinics located in second level healthcare facilities