Abstract
This chapter considers skin cancer as an emerging health challenge. The causes are analyzed in terms of population, lifestyle, and epidemiological factors. Certain facial skin cancers have high-risk factors which are considered in pathological, clinical, and metastatic risk categories. Other facial skin cancers are high-risk by virtue of their anatomical site, clinical and radiological extent, and reconstructive challenge. Patients presenting with high-risk facial skin cancers require proper oncological and reconstructive management. Certain facial cancers are best managed by multidisciplinary teams, with tailored treatment by surgeons and specialists trained to a very high standard. Specific clinical examples are illustrated, but principally the concepts of complete local excision + aesthetic reconstruction (CLEAR) or delayed reconstruction after pathological examination (DRAPE) are emphasised. High-risk facial cancers include those of the skin and cancer of the upper aerodigestive tract arising from the mucosal surface, most commonly squamous cell carcinoma with poor differentiation, perineural invasion, and malignant melanoma. Less commonly basal cell carcinoma with morphoeic patterns, basosquamous carcinomas, de-differentiated basal cell carcinoma and even rarer but very aggressive cancers such as sebaceous carcinoma, Merkel cell cancer and sarcoma.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Cancer Council of Australia: skin cancer statistics and issues. 2012 & 2014. wiki.cancer.org.au.
Connolly KL, Nehal KS, Disa JJ. Evidence-based medicine: cutaneous facial malignancies: nonmelanoma skin cancer. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2017;139(1):181–90.
NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research). niwa.co.nz.
Peat B, Insull P, Ayers R. Risk stratification for metastasis from cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. ANZ J Surg. 2012;82:230–3.
Mistry R, Wademan B, Avery G, Tan ST. A case of misdiagnosed squamous cell carcinoma due to alternative medical misadventure - time for tightening regulation? N Z Med J. 2010;123:61–7.
Varga E, Korom I, Rasko Z, Kis E, Varga J, Ol’ah J, et al. Neglected basal cell carcinomas in the 21st century. J Skin Cancer. 2011;2011:392151. https://doi.org/10.1155/2011/392151.
Edgerton MT. Advanced basal cell cancer: prognosis and treatment philosophy. Am J Surg. 1982;1444(4):392–400.
Klaassen MF, Brown E. An examiner’s guide to professional plastic surgery exams. Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-06689-1.
Lovie MJ, Duncan GM, Glasson DW. The ulnar artery forearm flap. Br J Plast Surg. 1984;37:486–92.
Klaassen MF, Brown E, Behan FC. Simply local flaps. Heidelberg: Springer; 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59400-2.
Behan FC. The keystone solution for major head and neck defects: audio-visual case presentations. Australas J Plastic Surg. 2019;2(2):79–83.
van Loo E, Mosterd E, Krekels GA, Roozeboom MH, Ostertag JU, Dirksen CD, et al. Surgical excision versus Mohs’ micrographic surgery for basal cell carcinoma of the face: a randomized clinical trial with 10 year followup. Eur J Cancer. 2014;50:3011–20.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Klaassen, M.F., Burton, I., Brown, E., Beehan, P.J., Tan, S.T. (2022). The Skin Cancer Epidemic. In: Burton, I., Klaassen, M.F. (eds) Atlas of Extreme Facial Cancer. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-88334-8_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-88334-8_1
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-88333-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-88334-8
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)