title: The significance of incomplete excision in patients with basal cell carcinoma.
abstract: Sixty-seven patients with incompletely excised basal cell carcinomas are reviewed. No recurrences were seen in seven patients who had immediate supplementary treatment; 23 of 60 patients submitted to a "wait and see" regimen developed recurrent disease, Recurrence was commoner in those in whom both the lateral and deep margins were involved, and when the incomplete excision was for recurrent disease. The latter recurrences were more difficult to control in patients who had previously had radiotherapy, when the deep margin was involved and when a flap had been used to close the resulting defect. A case is made for immediate re-excision for all patients with incompletely excised basal cell carcinomas.
mesh_terms: D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000628:therapy; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D013997:Time Factors