The importance of early suspicion of non-melanocytic malignant skin cancer (NMSC) in primary and secondary health care

Abstract

The prospective study, which took place from February 2011 to March 2014, included respondents who were sent for computerized dermoscopy because of non-melanocytic skin tumours. Respondents were divided into 2 groups. The first one, group A (45 respondents), consisted of respondents who had expressed concern about the observed changes in the skin and the desire for examination. The second one, group B (50 respondents) were respondents that did not come for examination due to changes on the skin, but for other reasons, so they had indirectly detected suspicious skin lesions. The aim of this study is to analyse the importance of early suspicion of non-melanocytic malignant skin tumours by specialists in primary and secondary health care. Parameters for comparison were respondents' subjective attitude of non-pigment skin lesions and dermoscopy and/or PH findings. It has been shown that changes in the skin that bleed are sometimes highly suspect of NMSC because group A had 5 such cases and NMSC was detected in 4 cases, and group B had 7 respondents with haemorrhage and there were 4 with NMSC. In group B, out of 12 respondents who said that they had found suspicious skin lesions caused by trauma, there were 8 NMSC, while in group A there were 3 cases, which is a statistically significant difference. In group B, out of 16 respondents who claimed that they had had suspicious skin changes dormant for years, NMSC has been proven in 3 cases, and in group A there was not NMSC which is also a statistically significant difference. It was confirmed that the claims of the respondents are unreliable and that all patients should be addressed to computer dermoscopy, in patients with visible changes that arise even a slightest suspicion of NMSC.