TREATMENT OF BASAL-CELL CARCINOMA BY DERMATOLOGISTS IN THE UNITED-KINGDOM

Details of presentation and treatment were obtained prospectively by q uestionnaire for 1366 patients with basal cell carcinoma, first attend ing under the care of 166 consultant dermatologists in the U.K., durin g a 2-week period. One thousand five hundred and ninety-seven tumours were reported in these patients (median age 71 years). Most were situa ted on the head and neck, and their median size was 9 mm, Excision was the most common treatment used in 58% of tumours, curettage and caute ry was used in 24%, cryotherapy in 8%, and radiotherapy in 8%. On aver age, one in four tumours were referred to other specialists for treatm ent (range 0-70%). Very few patients (2%) were referred to a combined dermatology/radiotherapy/plastic surgery clinic, calling into question its value and availability. There was considerable variation in pract ices between dermatologists, demonstrating a clear need for individual , local audit of the management of this common dermatological problem. The data collected in this study form a suitable measure with which l ocal performance may be compared.