[The evaluation of tumor histopathology, location, characteristic, size and thickness of nonmelanoma skin cancers of the head and neck].

OBJECTIVES This study aims to investigate the characteristic features of tumors and relationship between features in cases who underwent surgery for nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) of the head and neck. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between December 2007 and March 2011, 106 lesions of 90 cases who underwent excision of NMSC of the head and neck in our clinic were included. The statistical analysis was performed by evaluating the demographic data, histopathologic type, size and thickness of tumor, location, Clark stage, T stage, risk of recurrence and the presence of recurrence, reconstruction technique and success rate of surgery. RESULTS Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) was approximately two-fold more common than squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The most common locations of tumors were the nose and lip. Most of lesions (71.7%) were at high-risk of recurrence. When the relationship of histopathologic type with the size and depth of tumor were analyzed, it was found that the size and thickness of tumor in SCC were relatively higher with a statistically significant difference. The relationship between histopathologic type and the location of tumors was also statistically significant. CONCLUSION Basal cell carcinoma is the most common NMSC of the head and neck. Most of these cases have the potential of high rate of recurrence. The size and thickness of SCC are higher than BCC.