Incomplete excision of basal cell carcinomas: A retrospective audit

Abstract

Background: The reported rates of incomplete excision of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) vary widely (5-25%) among centres around the world. Incomplete excision of skin malignancy is one of the 57 clinical indicators developed by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards to act as a measure of the standard of surgical care. The study aims to determine the rate of incomplete excision of BCC at a major cancer centre. Methods: Computerized data and patients' records were reviewed. From January 1997 to June 2000, a total of 3558 BCC were surgically excised with curative intent, of which 223 were reported to have been removed incompletely. Results: The overall rate of incomplete excision was 6.3%. Conclusions: Given the limitations of a retrospective audit and reliability of the data, this result nevertheless compares favourably with reported figures in the literature.