Metastatic Basal Cell Carcinoma: A Rare Manifestation of a Common Disease
Table 1
Characteristics of metastatic basal cell carcinoma cases.
Characteristics
Current study (2012–2017)
Wysong et al. (1981–2011)
von Domarus and Stevens (1894–1980)
Comparison of the studies
Total no. of cases
25
194
170
389
Male, no. (%)a
20 (80%)
136 (71%)
102 (67%)
258 (66%)
Ratio (male : female)
4 : 1
3 : 1
2 : 1
2 : 1
Age at onset of primary tumor, median (range), yb
65 (36–83)
50 (24–88)
45 (14–84)
—
Location of primary tumor
Head and neck
12 (48%)
122 (64%)
119 (75%)
253 (65%)
Trunk
6 (24%)
41 (21%)
26 (17%)
73 (18.7%)
Extremities
5 (20%)
10 (5%)
11 (7%)
26 (6.6%)
Genitalia
1 (4%)
10 (5%)
2 (1%)
13 (3.3%)
Multiple sites
1 (4%)
9 (5%)
—
10 (2.5%)
Interval from onset of tumor to metastasis, median (range), yc
6 (0–18)
9 (0–30)
9 (0–45)
—
Age at first sign of metastasis, median (range), y
69 (40–90)
63 (32–92)
59 (24–89)
—
Site of metastasisd
Lymph nodes
14 (56%)
101 (53%)
63 (39%)
178 (45%)
Lung
9 (36%)
62 (33%)
66 (42%)
137 (35%)
Parotid gland
5 (20%)
—
—
5 (1.2%)
Bone
4 (16%)
38 (20%)
44 (28%)
86 (22%)
Submandibular gland
3 (12%)
—
—
3 (0.7%)
Thyroid
1 (4%)
—
—
1 (0.2%)
Skin/subcutaneous
0
21 (11%)
19 (12%)
40 (10%)
Liver
0
8 (4%)
15 (9%)
23 (6%)
Time to death after diagnosis of metastasis, median (range), moe
24 (6–300)
10 (0.5–108)
8 (1–192)
—
aN = 25 for current study, N = 191 for study by Wysong et al., and N = 153 for study by von Domarus and Stevens. bN = 22 for current study, N = 157 for study by Wysong et al., and N = 130 for study by von Domarus and Stevens. cN = 21 for current study, N = 152 for study by Wysong et al., and N = 137 for study by von Domarus and Stevens. dForty-seven cases involved more than 1 organ system; N = 25 for current study, N = 190 for study by Wysong et al., N = 159 for study by von Domarus and Stevens. eCases where survival data are available: N = 5 for current study, N = 51 for study by Wysong et al., and N = 79 for study by von Domarus and Stevens.
