METASTATIC BASAL-CELL CARCINOMA OF THE HEAD AND NECK

Metastases are occasionally associated with cutaneous squamous cell ca rcinoma but only rarely with basal cell carcinoma There are approximat ely 200 cases of metastases from basal cell carcinoma reported in the world literature. We describe 6 additional cases. All of our patients demonstrated recurrence at the primary site before they developed thei r metastases, Metastases presented in subcutaneous tissue, cervical ly mph nodes, bone, and lung between 1.5 and 14 years after initial treat ment of the primary lesion The long interval seen in these patients be tween the initial treatment of the primary and the development of meta stases underscores the need for long-term follow-up in what is often t hought to be a nonaggressive, nonmetastasizing malignancy.