A study of four European regions found that the incidence and
prevalence of basal cell carcinoma is underreported compared
with that of malignant skin cancer. The incidence of basal cell
carcinoma (BCC), the most common cancer among the white
population, continues to rise worldwide. Researchers analyzed
the cancer registry database practices of Finland, Malta,
southeast Netherlands, and Scotland. They examined the records
of first and multiple BCC registrations. Data from 2009 were
examined for Finland, Malta, and southeast Netherlands; 2006
data were analyzed in the Scottish database. For greater
accuracy, investigators also checked hospital and pathology
databases for possible omissions from the cancer registries.
Investigators acknowledged the difficulty of logging all BCCs,
given that many are undocumented because they are not
histologically verified, and they are excised without biopsy.
Compounding this, researchers wrote, is that registry clerks
have difficulty discerning between BCC rebiopsies, re-exci