title: 5-year review of a unique multidisciplinary nonmelanoma skin cancer clinic.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A multidisciplinary nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) clinic is held weekly at our center, where all new patients are jointly assessed by dermatology/dermatopathology, radiation oncology, and plastic surgery. A new patient database was established in 2004. The purpose of this study was to provide a preliminary report on the patients seen in the NMSC clinic and the treatment recommendations rendered.
  
  
  METHODS
  The new patient database was reviewed from January 2004 to December 2008, and patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and treatment recommendations were extracted. Cochran-Mantel-Harnszel (CMH) testing and chi-square analysis were used to detect any associations or relationships between variables within the database. A p value of less than .05 was considered significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the 5-year study period, 2,146 new patients were seen in the NMSC clinic. The majority of patients presented with basal cell carcinoma (64%) or squamous cell carcinoma (22%), with a median tumor size of 1 to 2 cm (range 0 to > 9 cm). Tumors were located in the head and neck region (80%), extremities (14%), and torso (6%). Previous treatment included biopsy only (62%), surgery (20%), electrodesiccation and curettage (11%), topical imiquimod (3%), and radiotherapy (1%). Treatment recommendations included surgery (55%) (with either simple excision [31%] or excision with margin control under frozen-section guidance [24%]), radiotherapy (19%), topical imiquimod (10%), observation (7%), and electrodesiccation and curettage (4%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The NMSC clinic at our center sees a high volume of patients who benefit from the multidisciplinary assessment provided. Treatment recommendations were based on patient and disease characteristics as well as patient preference.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Shaelyn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Culleton
authors.forename: Dale
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Breen
authors.forename: Dalal
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Assaad
authors.forename: Liying
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Balogh
authors.forename: May
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsao
authors.forename: Juhu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kamra
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Czarnota
authors.forename: Oleh
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Antonyshyn
authors.forename: Jeffery
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fialkov
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barnes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009864:Ontario; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*