Predictors for cutaneous basal- and squamous-cell carcinoma among actinically damaged adults

Risk factors for non-melanoma skin cancer among populations with evidence o f precursor damage are not well described, We examined and compared risk fa ctors associated with the development of cutaneous basal-cell (BCC) or squa mous-cell (SCC) carcinoma among a group of 918 adults with significant sun damage (greater than or equal to 10 clinically assessable actinic keratoses ) but no prior history of skin cancer, These adults were participants in a ii-year skin chemoprevention trial between 1985 and 1992, who had been rand omized to the placebo group and followed for occurrence of skin cancer, Dur ing the study, a total of 129 first SCC and 164 first BCC lesions were diag nosed. The overall BCC and SCC incidence rates for this group of men and wo men, mean age 61 years, were 4,106 and 3,198 per 100,000 person-years, resp ectively, Different constitutional and exposure factors were independently associated with BCC compared to SCC, Only increased age independently predi cted BCC occurrence among this population. In contrast, older age along wit h male gender, natural red hair color and adult residence in Arizona for 10 or more years independently predicted SCC occurrence. The substantial inci dence of skin cancer found among this population confirms the need for acti ve dermatological monitoring among individuals with multiple visible actini c lesions. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.