Recurrence of Non-Melanoma Skin Cancers in the Head and Neck Area—A Single-Center Retrospective Analysis
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results
4. Discussion
Limitations
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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| Study Population Summary, All Patients | ||
|---|---|---|
| Parameter | Value | |
| Eligible lesions (NMSC and SCC in situ) | 302 | |
| Patients contributing eligible lesions | 132 | |
| Lesions with known recurrence outcome | 291 | |
| Recurrent lesions | 83 | |
| Recurrence rate | 28.52% (83/291) | |
| Median age, years (IQR) | 73.0 (66.0–81.0) | |
| Female:Male (lesions) | 149:153 | |
| Most common diagnosis | BCC | |
| Most common anatomical location | Nose | |
| Baseline Characteristics, Categorical, All Patients | ||
| Variable | Level | N (%) |
| Sex | Female | 149 (49.3%) |
| Male | 153 (50.7%) | |
| Diagnosis | BCC | 224 (74.2%) |
| BSC | 12 (4.0%) | |
| Mixed BCC/SCC | 2 (0.7%) | |
| SCC | 50 (16.6%) | |
| SCC in situ | 14 (4.6%) | |
| Location risk group | Standard-risk | 84 (27.9%) |
| High-risk | 217 (72.1%) | |
| Complete excision | No | 80 (27.9%) |
| Yes | 207 (72.1%) | |
| Nerve or vessel invasion | No | 287 (97.6%) |
| Yes | 7 (2.4%) | |
| Metastases | No | 294 (99.7%) |
| Yes | 1 (0.3%) | |
| Multiple tumors | No | 200 (67.3%) |
| Yes | 97 (32.7%) | |
| History of skin cancer | No | 121 (40.7%) |
| Yes | 176 (59.3%) | |
| Smoking | No | 211 (69.9%) |
| Yes | 91 (30.1%) | |
| Prior radiotherapy | No | 286 (95.7%) |
| Yes | 13 (4.3%) | |
| Immunosuppression | No | 279 (93.6%) |
| Yes | 19 (6.4%) | |
| Age group | ≤50 | 12 (4.0%) |
| 51–65 | 52 (17.3%) | |
| 66–75 | 104 (34.6%) | |
| >75 | 133 (44.2%) | |
| Variable | Level | Total Lesions at Level | Recurrent | Non-Recurrent | Recurrence Rate (%) | Cramer’s V | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | Female | 144 | 41 | 103 | 28.47 | 0.001 | 10.000 |
| Male | 147 | 42 | 105 | 28.57 | |||
| Anatomical location | Nose | 87 | 31 | 56 | 35.63 | 0.227 | 0.1456 |
| Temple | 43 | 16 | 27 | 37.21 | |||
| Cheek | 27 | 7 | 20 | 25.93 | |||
| Ear | 27 | 3 | 24 | 11.11 | |||
| Forehead | 26 | 8 | 18 | 30.77 | |||
| Eye angle | 24 | 5 | 19 | 20.83 | |||
| Eyelid | 16 | 5 | 11 | 31.25 | |||
| Scalp | 16 | 6 | 10 | 37.50 | |||
| Lip area | 12 | 2 | 10 | 16.67 | |||
| Chin/Jaw | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0.00 | |||
| Neck | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0.00 | |||
| Location risk group | Standard-risk | 81 | 21 | 60 | 25.93 | 0.037 | 0.5652 |
| High-risk | 209 | 62 | 147 | 29.67 | |||
| Diagnosis | BCC | 216 | 54 | 162 | 25.00 | 0.150 | 0.1058 |
| SCC | 49 | 19 | 30 | 38.78 | |||
| SCC in situ | 14 | 4 | 10 | 28.57 | |||
| BSC | 10 | 5 | 5 | 50.00 | |||
| Mixed BCC/SCC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50.00 | |||
| Complete excision | No | 76 | 24 | 52 | 31.58 | 0.078 | 0.2198 |
| Yes | 201 | 48 | 153 | 23.88 | |||
| Nerve or vessel invasion | No | 277 | 74 | 203 | 26.71 | 0.106 | 0.0929 |
| Yes | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57.14 | |||
| Metastases | No | 284 | 77 | 207 | 27.11 | 0.097 | 0.2737 |
| Yes | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 | |||
| Multiple tumors | No | 195 | 63 | 132 | 32.31 | 0.144 | 0.0164 |
| Yes | 92 | 17 | 75 | 18.48 | |||
| History of skin cancer | No | 118 | 32 | 86 | 27.12 | 0.014 | 0.8937 |
| Yes | 169 | 48 | 121 | 28.40 | |||
| Smoking | No | 203 | 55 | 148 | 27.09 | 0.048 | 0.4799 |
| Yes | 88 | 28 | 60 | 31.82 | |||
| Prior radiotherapy | No | 277 | 74 | 203 | 26.71 | 0.140 | 0.0418 |
| Yes | 12 | 7 | 5 | 58.33 | |||
| Immunosuppression | No | 270 | 77 | 193 | 28.52 | 0.041 | 0.6034 |
| Yes | 19 | 4 | 15 | 21.05 | |||
| Age group | ≤50 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 33.33 | 0.198 | 0.0100 |
| 51–65 | 49 | 23 | 26 | 46.94 | |||
| 66–75 | 99 | 28 | 71 | 28.28 | |||
| >75 | 130 | 28 | 102 | 21.54 | |||
| Smallest margin category | <1 mm | 53 | 16 | 37 | 30.19 | 0.088 | 0.6589 |
| 1-<2 mm | 61 | 15 | 46 | 24.59 | |||
| 2-<5 mm | 89 | 25 | 64 | 28.09 | |||
| ≥5 mm | 19 | 3 | 16 | 15.79 |
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Wojarska, M.; Mitas, K.; Bernecka, P.; Gac, M.; Glinko, A.M.; Kierat, S.; Ratajczyk, G.; Turek, M.; Włoch, A.; Pastuszak, K.; et al. Recurrence of Non-Melanoma Skin Cancers in the Head and Neck Area—A Single-Center Retrospective Analysis. J. Clin. Med. 2026, 15, 4196. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15114196
Wojarska M, Mitas K, Bernecka P, Gac M, Glinko AM, Kierat S, Ratajczyk G, Turek M, Włoch A, Pastuszak K, et al. Recurrence of Non-Melanoma Skin Cancers in the Head and Neck Area—A Single-Center Retrospective Analysis. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2026; 15(11):4196. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15114196
Chicago/Turabian StyleWojarska, Monika, Karol Mitas, Paulina Bernecka, Maria Gac, Amelia Maria Glinko, Samira Kierat, Gabriela Ratajczyk, Marija Turek, Adrianna Włoch, Krzysztof Pastuszak, and et al. 2026. "Recurrence of Non-Melanoma Skin Cancers in the Head and Neck Area—A Single-Center Retrospective Analysis" Journal of Clinical Medicine 15, no. 11: 4196. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15114196
APA StyleWojarska, M., Mitas, K., Bernecka, P., Gac, M., Glinko, A. M., Kierat, S., Ratajczyk, G., Turek, M., Włoch, A., Pastuszak, K., & Jankau, J. (2026). Recurrence of Non-Melanoma Skin Cancers in the Head and Neck Area—A Single-Center Retrospective Analysis. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 15(11), 4196. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15114196

