Skin cancers diagnosed at the dermatology department of a tertiary hospital in Jordan over one year

Abstract

Introduction: Skin tumours comprise an important fraction of dermatology practice. Skin tumours can be benign or malignant, and patients can present with a merely unsightly nodule to a rapidly growing nodule. The diagnosis is made on pathological basis, which is done after performing skin biopsies. Aim: In this study, we aim to describe the characteristics of malignant skin tumors diagnosed by skin biopsies over a one-year period (2023) at the Department of Dermatology, King Hussein Medical Center (KHMC). Methods: In this retrospective study, data from biopsies that were done at our department and diagnosed as skin cancers were collected, patients’ demographics were registered; including age, gender, and tumour location, and final diagnosis was recorded. Data was registered on an Excel® datasheet and analyzed using simple statistical methods. Results: There were 78 biopsies that were diagnosed as skin cancers at the department of Dermatology. Of these, the most common diagnosis was basal cell carcinoma with 38% of the biopsied cancers. Eighteen per cent were diagnosed as squamous cell carcinomas, and 15% were melanomas. Mycosis fungoides and cutaneous T cell lymphoma cases were included in this study and reached 18% of the diagnosed skin cancers in our patients.