Patterns of non-melanoma skin cancer in Benin City, Nigeria: A teaching hospital experience

Aim and Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and morphological patterns of non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs) in University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Data of surgical biopsies from the skin received at the Department of Histopathology over a 26-year period (from January 1982 to December 2007) were reviewed. The sources of information were surgical pathology day books, duplicates of histology request form and reports. Corresponding slides were retrieved for histopathology examination. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 17. Results: A total of 187 skin malignancies were encountered. Of these, 63 accounting for 33.7% were NMSCs. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) accounted for 45 cases, constituting 24.1% of all malignant skin tumors and 71.4% of NMSCs. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) accounted for 18 cases (9.6%) of all malignant skin tumors and 28.6% of NMSCs. The peak incidence of SCC and BCC was in the 5 th decade of life. The mean age for SCC and BCC was 51.4 ± 1.3 and 46.3 ± 5.2 years, respectively. The male to female ratios for SCC and BCC were 2.4:1 and 1.6:1, respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, SCC was the most common NMSC. This is similar to reports of other studies in Africans and Black Americans. In contrast, in Caucasian series, BCC was the most common NMSC. The head and neck region was the most common site of these skin cancers.