Clinico-epidemiological characteristics and long-term surgical outcome of basal cell carcinoma treated with standard excision in patients of skin of colour: A retrospective study from Northern India

Abstract

Background There is scant data on basal cell carcinoma (BCC) in Indian patients. This retrospective study was conducted to explore epidemiology, risk factors, clinical and pathological aspects, and long-term treatment outcomes of BCC in a cohort of North Indian patients. Methods Data about patients registered in the dermatosurgery clinic between 01 January 2017 and 31 December 2022 with a confirmed diagnosis of BCC was collected. Results Among the 83 patients, 56.6% were females, and the median age was 62 years (6–85 years). Most patients (81.9%) had a single BCC lesion, resulting in a total of 126 assessed lesions. The median size of BCC at presentation was 1.90 cm, with nodular BCC being the most common histopathological subtype (39.7%). Head and neck region involvement was observed in 82.5% of patients, with the malar region, nose, and periorbital region being the most commonly affected sites. Pigmentation was clinically evident in 45.2% of cases. Surgical excision was the primary treatment modality (71.1% of patients). The median follow-up duration was 40 months (6–57 months). Recurrence occurred in five patients, with a longer disease-free survival period observed in the surgically treated group (55.58 ± 0.98 months) compared to patients treated with medical or destructive therapies (43.6 ± 3.482 months) (p = 0.003). Conclusion The data from this hospital-based study indicated a slight predilection for females among North Indian patients with BCC, with most cases occurring during their seventh decade of life. The condition commonly occurred on sun-exposed areas such as the malar region and nose, with a high percentage of pigmented lesions. Recurrence following surgical excision was rare, and overall treatment outcomes were favourable.