title: Head and neck basal cell carcinoma: treatment using a 2-mm clinical excision margin.
abstract: Treatment of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) should completely remove the tumour whilst preserving the maximum amount of normal surrounding skin. Therefore, treatment is a compromise between safe excision margins and obtaining a satisfactory cosmetic result. We report the results of a prospective study of 63 patients who underwent excision of well-demarcated BCCs in the head and neck region. The surgical excision margin used was 2 mm. Histological assessment confirmed complete excision in 95% and there was no evidence of recurrence of the BCC over a 24-month follow-up period in all patients. We propose that a clinical excision margin of 2 mm is adequate for treatment of simple, well demarcated BCCs arising in the head and neck.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Plastic Surgery and Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Bradford Royal Infirmary, Bradford, UK.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Lalloo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sood
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies