Skin cancer on Saba - abstract

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to document skin tumours in Saba from 1965 to 1986 and calculate incidence rates (IR) for different types of skin cancers for the period 1977-1986. Data on skin tumours were obtained from local medical records, correspondence with doctors and from pathology laboratories in Curacao, Aruba and Puerto Rico. There were 382 skin tumours in 140 patients . Of these, 269 (70.4 per cent) in 98 patients were malignant of which 174 (65 per cent) were confirmed by histology and one was a melanoma. Basal cell carcinoma (BBC) accounted for 49 per cent, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) 14 per cent, and kersol 36 per cent of skin cancers. The age-standardized IR for BCC was 11.29 cases/1,000 persons/year for males and 6.19 for females. Corresponding IRs for SCC were 2.53 and 2.06 and for kersol, 9.83 and 9.67 for males and females respectively. No skin cancer was found in non-Caucasians, and it was calculated that an average of 11 persons develop a non-melanoma skin cancer per year in Saba (AU)