Risk factors for basal cell carcinoma: Results from the case-control study

Abstract

The aim of the present case-control study was to assess the risk factors for Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) in the Montenegrin population. The study group was comprised of 100 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of BCC, while the control group consisted of patients who did not present skin cancer and who were individually matched to the cases by sex and age. The increased risk for BCC was associated with: the presence of nevi (odds ratio [OR] = 3.77; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.12-12.73), type of skin concerning to burn rather than to tan after repeated sun exposure in childhood or adolescence (OR = 3.14; 95% CI = 1.59-6.18), the skin reaction to burn after two or more hours of sunlight during childhood or adolescence (OR = 4.53; 95% CI = 2.37-8.63), the number of severe and painful sunburns during their lifetime(OR = 3.52; 95% CI = 1.68-7.38), outdoor work during the summer-time (OR = 2.73; 95% CI = 1.00-7.45), occupational exposure to chemicals (OR = 17.89; 95% CI = 2.82-113.52), history of eczema (OR = 4.17; 95% CI = 1.53-11.39), and history of previous BCC (OR = 3.86; 95% CI = 1.40-10.65). Our study confirms the role of environmental and constitutional factors in development of BCC. © 2010 Versita Warsaw and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.