This is a report of 9 cases of Pilomatrixoma (Calcifying Epithelioma) recorded in 188 benign tumours of the skin and adnexa in Sarawak during 1976 and 1977, with an incidence of 4.7 per cent. Out of the seven Chinese patients four were females. One more female was a Kayan and the race of another female patient was not recorded. Except one, all were below the age of 20 years; the youngest being only 6 months old. In one lesion ossification was also detected.
This is an analysis of histologically proven neoplasms encountered in Sarawak in 1976 and 1977. There were 1447 benign and 1368 malignant tumours. The detailed breakdown of malignant neoplasms with their racial and sex distribution is reported, Lymph node involvement, with primary and metastatic lesions, constituted the largest single group with 22.3 per cent of all malignancies. The next in order of frequency was the Reproductive system with a marked preponderance of Cervical Carcinoma in females. The next in frequency were Skin cancers (8.85%) and Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (8.4%). Primary liver cell cancer and Breast cancer constituted 5.85 per cent and 5.79 per cent respectively of all malignant tumours. The high prevalence of malignant neoplasms in Chinese is suggestive of racial predisposition.
INTRODUCTION: Malignant melanoma in particular is one of the few remaining cancers with an increasing incidence.
OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to explore the perceptions and opinions of young Malaysians towards skin cancer prevention.
METHODOLOGY: Focus group discussions were conducted among 33 medical science students from Management and Science University (MSU), Shah Alam, Malaysia, using convenience sampling. Students were divided into 4 focus groups consisting of 8, 8, 9 and 8 students respectively. The facilitator wrote down the conversations and data obtained were classified into various categories and analyzed manually.
RESULTS: The majority of the participants mentioned that overexposure to ultraviolet light is the commonest cause of skin cancer but also that the most benefit we get from sun ight is vitamin D synthesis. The majority mentioned that the best prevention measure for skin cancer is using a sunscreen, followed by limit exposure to the sun.
CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated there is a lack of knowledge regarding screening methods and prevention measures of skin cancer. Therefore, there is a need to establish health education unit in all universities to educate all university students regarding various health problems including skin cancer prevention.
BACKGROUND: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common skin cancer among Orientals. Data on this malignancy is lacking in Malaysia, prompting a retrospective study to determine the clinical characteristics in the skin clinic, Sarawak General Hospital between 2000 and 2008.
METHODS: Demographic data and clinical features of 64 histopathologically proven BCC from 43 patients were retrieved. Statistical analysis was performed comparing the clinical characteristics based on the region of involvement and gender.
RESULTS: The mean age of presentation was 60.9 years. Male to female ratio was 1.05. Majority of the patients were Chinese (44.2%) followed by Malays (32.6%), Bidayuhs (14.0%) and Ibans (6.9%). Nodular BCC accounted for 95.3% of cases while 4.7% were superficial BCC. All the nodular BCC were pigmented. Ulceration was noted in 18%. There were 82.8% of BCC on the head and neck region and 17.2% on the trunk and limb region. BCC on the latter region were larger (mean 35.0 cf. 14.4 mm, p < 0.001) and ulcerated (45.5% cf. 11.3%, p = 0.01). Superficial BCC were also more frequently encountered in this region (18.2% cf. 1.9%, p = 0.02). Compared to women, men had larger BCC (mean 21.1 cf. 13.3 mm, p = 0.03) and kept them for a longer duration (mean 21.6 cf. 13.3 months, p = 0.04).
CONCLUSION: Clinical characteristics of BCC in Sarawak were similar to other Asian studies. Additionally, BCC on the trunk and limbs and in men were larger, ulcerative and long standing warranting better efforts for earlier detection.
Study site: Skin clinic, Sarawak General Hospital, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
BACKGROUND: Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) provides a combination of high cure rate and tissue conservation. Epidemiologic factors and changes in techniques may affect the way MMS is performed.
OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate changes over time in the type of patients and skin cancers that are treated using MMS, and the repairs used to close the defects.
METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study on patients treated with MMS at the Skin and Cancer Foundation Australia, Westmead, in 1997 against those treated in 2007. Patient demographics (age, sex), pathology of tumor, anatomic site of the tumor, preoperative tumor size, postoperative defect size, and repair method were analyzed.
RESULTS: There was a 260% increase in the number of procedures (596 in 1997 vs 1587 in 2007). The 2007 cohort was a little older (62 vs 64 years), but there were no differences in sex, anatomic site, rate of basal/squamous cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma histologic subtypes, or preoperative tumor size. However, there were fewer superficial basal cell carcinomas, and the postoperative defect size was smaller in 2007 (P < .0001). There was also a decrease in the use of grafts and second-intention healing to close the defects and an increase in the number of side-to-side closures (P < .0001).
LIMITATIONS: Retrospective study at one institution is a limitation.
CONCLUSION: Although tumor size and the percentage of tumors in each anatomic site did not change over 10 years, the size of the defect created after MMS has become smaller. This reduction in defect size may explain why more defects are now repaired by side-to-side closure and flap repairs whereas fewer defects are repaired by skin grafting.
There has been a rising incidence of skin cancers among Asians in recent years. We present a retrospective analysis of 106 skin cancers and analysed the demography, clinical subtypes of skin cancers and surgical techniques used for skin cancer treatment. In our population, skin cancers were most frequently basal cell carcinomas and diagnosed among ethnic Chinese patients.
Evidence suggests an influence of sex hormones on cutaneous melanoma risk, but epidemiologic findings are conflicting. We examined the associations between use of oral contraceptives (OCs) and menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) and melanoma risk in women participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). EPIC is a prospective cohort study initiated in 1992 in 10 European countries. Information on exogenous hormone use at baseline was derived from country-specific self-administered questionnaires. We used Cox proportional hazards regression models to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Over 1992-2015, 1,696 melanoma cases were identified among 334,483 women, whereof 770 cases among 134,758 postmenopausal women. There was a positive, borderline-significant association between OC use and melanoma risk (HR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.00-1.26), with no detected heterogeneity across countries (phomogeneity = 0.42). This risk increased linearly with duration of use (ptrend = 0.01). Among postmenopausal women, ever use of MHT was associated with a nonsignificant increase in melanoma risk overall (HR = 1.14, 95% CI = 0.97-1.43), which was heterogeneous across countries (phomogeneity = 0.05). Our findings do not support a strong and direct association between exogenous hormone use and melanoma risk. In order to better understand these relations, further research should be performed using prospectively collected data including detailed information on types of hormone, and on sun exposure, which may act as an important confounder or effect modifier on these relations.
A review of consecutive biopsies of adnexal tumours from 112 patients, received by the Department of Pathology, University of Malaya, over a 13-year period was undertaken. The age range of the patients was from 1 to 84 years, with a mean of 29.8 years. Thirty-three (32%) patients were under 20 years of age. There were 68 females with a male to female ratio of 1.0:1.5. In 105 cases (93.7%), the neoplasm was solitary. The tumour measured less than 2 cm in the largest dimension in 103 cases (92%). The common sites of occurrence were the head and neck region (59%) and extremities (25%). Neoplasms of hair follicle origin accounted for 63.4% (71 cases) of all lesions. Intra-tumour deposition of amyloid was noted in one of the 14 cases of trichoepithelioma.