title: Patient Factors and Their Association with Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Morbidity and the Performance of Self-skin Exams: A Cross-Sectional Study.
abstract: Objective:Mohs micrographic surgery is widely utilized for the treatment of nonmelanoma skin cancers with the advantage of tissue sparing and higher cure rate. The preoperative tumor size and post-Mohs micrographic surgery defect size are useful surrogate measures of nonmelanoma skin cancer morbidity. The authors sought to evaluate whether gender, Hispanic ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sun-safe practices and self-skin exams affected tumor size and Mohs micrographic surgery defect size. They also investigated factors associated with self-skin exams.Design:A cross-sectional survey-based study.Setting:Two dermatologic surgery clinics-one academic-associated and the other private.Participants:Patients receiving Mohs surgery for nonmelanoma skin cancers.Measurements:Tumor size and Mohs defect size and their relationship to patient factors ascertained from a survey, as well as the number of patients performing self-skin exams. The authors used t-tests and analysis of variance to compare tumor and defect sizes for each patient factor. Chi-squared tests were used to determine the factors associated with self-skin exams performance.Results:Lower education was associated with greater head and face tumor area (95mm2vs. 41mm2,P=0.019), but not Mohs micrographic surgery defect size. Other studied patient factors were not associated with an increased morbidity. Hispanics performed self-skin exams at a lower rate than non-Hispanics (27% vs. 46%,p=0.03).Conclusion:This study innovatively uses tumor and Mohs micrographic surgery defect area as a measure of morbidity, allowing for identification of populations at need for improved education and prevention. (J Clin Aesthet Dermatol.2016;9(9):16-22.).
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of California Irvine Medical Center, Irvine, California.
authors.forename: Kyle T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Amber
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology & Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Romi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bloom
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology & Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Mohammad-Ali Yazdani
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Abyaneh
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology & Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Leyre A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Falto-Aizpurua
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology & Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viera
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Martin N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Zaiac
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology & Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Keyvan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nouri
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology & Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Shasa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hu