Future Research on Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Hand Should Consider Recurrence Rates and Long-Term Treatment Complications

According to findings from a recent systematic review and meta-analysis investigating current management options and outcomes of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the hand, future research should focus on developing criteria for treating BCCs of the hand that take into consideration recurrence rates and long-term complications of treatments.

Researchers performed a systematic review to assess clinical characteristics, investigations, and treatment options in the literature for hand BCC. The Cochrane review method and preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines were used to design the systematic review.

A total of 9725 patients and 51 articles were included in the study. Asymptomatic skin lesion was the main presenting complaint, Moh surgery was the most commonly used treatment method with no reported recurrences, and the recurrence rate was 1.49 cases per year (95% CI, 0.58 to 3.82).

“The optimal extent of surgical treatment is still controversial, though an early biopsy can help identify lesions at an early stage,” concluded the study authors. “It is the first study to provide occurrence rates based on a meta-analysis,” they added. “Developing treatment guidelines for BCC of the hand will be the focus of future research.”

Reference
Mortada H, Aldihan R, Alhindi N, Abu Alqam R, Alnaim MF, Kattan AE. Basal cell carcinoma of the hand: A systematic review and meta-analysis of incidence of recurrence. JPRAS Open. 2022;35:42-57. doi:10.1016/j.jpra.2022.11.006