Basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin in Finland. Site distribution and patient survival.

Long-term survival of patients with basal cell (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin and site distribution of the lesions were studied using ample nationwide cancer registry data. The material consisted of 23,975 patients with BCC and 2,927 patients with SCC diagnosed in Finland from 1967 to 1981. The proportion of patients with lesions in the head and neck region was 77.5% in men and 81.4% in women for BCC and, 75.7% in men and 75.8% in women for SCC. The 5- and 10-year relative survival rates (RSRs) of patients with BCC were very close to 100%. The 5-year RSR of patients with SCC diagnosed from 1974 to 1981 was 87.7% in men and 84.0% in women. In patients with SCC the worst prognosis was for lesions of the scalp and neck in men (80.2%) and for those of the ears in women (73.2%).