title: Associations between UVR exposure and basal cell carcinoma site and histology.
abstract: While sunlight is critical in basal cell carcinoma (BCC) pathogenesis the relationship between exposure and tumor site and histology is unclear. We determined if tumor site (trunk or head/neck) or histology (nodular or superficial) is determined by exposure pattern. In 66 cases with truncal and 362 patients with head/neck BCC at first presentation, average hours exposure/year, intermittency score, childhood sunburning and skin type were not significantly associated with tumor site or histology. However, often sunbathing was associated with a five-fold increased risk of truncal BCC. Average sunbathing score was significantly greater in 22 cases with truncal compared with 325 cases with head/neck nodular tumors and also in 44 cases with superficial truncal compared with superficial head/neck BCC. Thus, sunbathing determined tumor site but not histology.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele University School of Medicine, Hartshill Campus, University Hospital of North Staffordshire, Staffordshire, UK.
authors.forename: Tracy J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Lovatt
authors.forename: John T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Lear
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bastrilles
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Christopher E M
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Griffiths
authors.forename: Sudarshan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramachandran
authors.forename: Andrew G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Asad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salim
authors.forename: Anthony A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Fryer
authors.forename: Peter W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Strange
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D013471:Sunburn / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013909:Thorax; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays