Comparative study of superficial cancer in Tanzania.

Examination of the Tanzania Cancer Registry from 1978 to 1988 showed squamous cell carcinomas to be the most frequent form of superficial malignancy, followed by Kaposi's sarcoma and then malignant melanoma. Males were more afflicted than females, and the lower limbs were predominant sites of the lesion. In terms of relative importance of various types of superficial cancers, the pattern seen in Tanzania was similar to that in another East African country. In a West African country, Kaposi's sarcoma was not common. On the other hand, among blacks in the USA, basal cell carcinomas were almost similar in frequency to squamous cell carcinomas.