MORPHOLOGICAL SPECTRUM OF NON MELANOMA SKIN CANCER EXPERIENCE AT A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN KARACHI, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Background:

Jinnah post graduate medical center is a major tertiary care hospital in Karachi. People of varying skin color from different ethnic groups in this cosmopolitan city present to this hospital. The current study was designed to determine the histopathological spectrum of non melanoma skin cancer including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma in skin biopsy cases reported at pathology department, basic medical sciences institute, JPMC.

Methods:

This retrospective cross sectional study included 142 cases of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) diagnosed over5-year duration at department of pathology, Basic Medical Sciences Institute, Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center, Karachi. World Health Organization histologic classification of keratinocytic skin tumors was followed for subtyping of BCC and SCC.

Results:

Out of the total of 142 NMSC cases, 86 (60%) were (BCC) and 56 (40%) were (SCC). Majority among SCC i.e. 33 (58.9%) were well differentiated carcinoma. The most common single morphology in BCC was the nodular variant constituting 56 (65.1%) cases. Mixed composition of BCC constituted 25 (29%) cases. A combination of two histological patterns was observed in 22 (25.5%) cases while 3 (3.5%) cases showed more than two morphologies.

Conclusion:

Well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma was the most common variant of cutaneous SCC. Nodular variant was the most frequently observed subtype amongst BCC. A significant number of BCC cases revealed mixed histopathological patterns, a novel finding of the study. Our data include people from different ethnicities with variable skin color and thus provides useful reference for future studies.