Population-based incidence of basal cell carcinoma in a Spanish Mediterranean area.
BACKGROUND
Considering the latitude of Spain, the reported age-adjusted incidence rates of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) in this country, similar to those of Northern Europe, are lower than expected.


OBJECTIVE
To estimate the actual incidence of BCC in a Mediterranean population from the eastern coast of Spain.


METHODS
A registry of BCC cases newly diagnosed between 16 January 2006 and 16 January 2007 was established for the population of residents in the Barcelonès Nord county (369,622 inhabitants). All dermatologists of this area agreed to register their patients. All tumours were registered as 'definite' or 'probable' BCC cases according the existence or not of a proven microscopic diagnosis. If a patient had more than one tumour at different sites, each was counted and registered separately. Sex-specific, age-specific and age-standardized incidence rates were calculated by direct standardization to the World and European Standard Population.


RESULTS
Among the 936 cases registered, 81.2% were classified as 'definite' BCC and 18.8% as 'probable' BCC. The overall crude incidence rate was 253.2 per 100,000 person-years, and was 128 per 100,000 person-years and 195.5 per 100,000 person-years after standardizing for the World and European population, respectively. After the age of 65 years, the BCC age-adjusted incidence rates showed a significantly higher increase in men than in women (P = 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence rates found in our study are higher than those previously reported in Spain. Age-adjusted incidence rates revealed that BCC increases with age in both sexes, this increase being particularly evident in men older than 65 years.
Department of Dermatology, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Carretera del Canyet s/n, Barcelona, Spain. ibielsa.germanstrias@gencat.cat
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Bielsa
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Soria
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Esteve
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Ferrándiz
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult