title: Recurrence rates of basal cell carcinoma of the periocular skin: what to do with patients who have positive margins after resection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the recurrence rates of basal cell carcinoma of the periocular skin in patients who were in the following 3 groups after pathologic analysis: Mohs frozen sections (negative margins); permanent sections with positive tumor margins; and permanent sections with negative tumor margins at the time of primary surgical removal.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study is a retrospective chart review.
  
  
  METHODS
  We identified 385 patients who underwent surgery for basal cell carcinoma. The surgery was performed by a single surgeon between January 1, 1995 and January 1, 2005.
  
  
  METHODS
  The patients were divided into 3 groups: (i) Mohs frozen sections with margins negative for tumor; (ii) permanent sections with margins negative for tumor; (iii) permanent sections with margins positive for tumor. The recurrence rates of basal cell carcinoma were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The recurrence-free rate was 92% for the group that had had Mohs frozen-section, 87% for the group that had had permanent sections with negative margins, and 80% for the group that had had permanent sections with positive margins at 170 months follow-up time. We found that the only predictor of recurrence rate was younger age (hazards ratio (HR) = 0.97 95%; CI 0.94, 0.99; p = 0.021).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results showed a statistically significant difference in the recurrence-free rate in the 3 groups. A minimum of a 3-year follow-up is recommended in patients who have had basal cell carcinomas removed; the average time to recurrence was approximately 3 years.
authors.affiliation: Hamilton Regional Eye Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Kim N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Jebodhsingh
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Calafati
authors.forename: Forough
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Farrokhyar
authors.forename: John T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Harvey
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005142:Eyelid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015580:Mohs Surgery; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors