Update of the European guidelines for basal cell carcinoma management.
BACKGROUND
European guidelines for the management of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) prepared by the former BCC subcommittee of the Guidelines Committee of the European Dermatology Forum (EDF) were published in 2006.


OBJECTIVE
To present updated guidelines that include consensual expert definitions on various BCC types, prognosis and risk factors for BCC as well as review recommendations for diagnosis and treatment reflecting current published evidence.


METHODS
These guidelines (S1 type) were prepared by the new BCC subgroup of the European Dermatology Forum (EDF)'s Guidelines Committee through extensive literature review (up to 2012) and expert experience; they were extensively discussed within the EDF subcommittee and approved by peer reviewers of the EDF. Results BCC is a common tumour with an incidence rising worldwide. Three major clinical types of BCC are recognized: nodular, superficial and morpheaform. Four histological subtypes are defined: superficial, nodular, infiltrative and morpheaform. On the basis of the risk of relapse, three prognosis groups have been identified: high, intermediate and low risk. According to these classifications and evidence-based evaluation of the therapeutic strategies available, a decision tree is proposed for the management of BCCs.


CONCLUSIONS
The guidelines offer a useful tool that will help dermatologists to select the most appropriate treatment for individual patients.
Second Department of Venereology and Dermatology, Papageorgiou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Myrto
M
Trakatelli
Department of Dermatology, Stirling Community Hospital, Stirling, FK8 2AU, UK.
Colin
C
Morton
Department of Dermatology, Instituto Valenciano de Oncología, Valencia, Spain.
Eduardo
E
Nagore
Skin Cancer Centre, Department of Dermatology, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany.
Claas
C
Ulrich
Université Libre de Bruxelles, Department of Dermatology, Hôpital Erasme, Bruxelles, Belgium.
Veronique
V
Del Marmol
Department of Dermatology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
Ketty
K
Peris
Département de Dermatologie, Hôpital Saint-Louis, 1, avenue Claude Vellefaux, 75017 Paris, France.
Nicole
N
Basset-Seguin
D000634:Aminoquinolines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D062109:Dermatologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D000077271:Imiquimod; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*
D000634:Aminoquinolines; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000077271:Imiquimod