Dermatológia pre prax 3/2024

Genetic background of skin tumors

More than 100 types of tumors occur on the skin. Many of them arise from a genetic or familial background. Basal cell (BCC) and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) are the most common malignant skin tumors and their incidence is constantly increasing. The incidence of malignant melanoma is not as frequent as that of BCC and cSCC, but we observe approximately 5% more cases of this malignant disease year-on-year. In Slovakia, 1039 new cases of malignant melanoma were reported in 2022 with an incidence of 20.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (the European average is 21.4 per 100,000) and 29,273 non-melanoma skin tumors (NMSC) under MKCH diagnosis C44 with an incidence of 538.6 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. However, the actual incidence of NMSC is estimated to be much higher, due to incomplete reporting of these tumors (tumors removed by non-surgical methods, numerous tumors...) The main etiological factor in the development of BCC, SCC and malignant melanoma is exposure to UV radiation, however, several hereditary syndromes and genes are also associated with an increased risk of their development. Knowing the risk factors in the development of skin carcinogenesis allows us to target them specifically in the prevention of these frequent oncological diseases.

Keywords: malignant melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, gene mutations, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, skin cancer prevention