Skin Cancer in the Incarcerated Population—A Single-Center Study. Issue 1 (January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Swigert, Anna; Majidian, Mandy; Chen, Lauren; Vick, Garrett; Murina, Andrea
• Is Part Of: Dermatologic surgery. Volume 48:Issue 1(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-01
• Subjects: Skin -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Skin -- Diseases -- Surgery -- Periodicals; 617.477
• DOI: 10.1097/DSS.0000000000003247
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1076-0512

Abstract

Abstract : BACKGROUND: The incarcerated population may have variable access to specialty care that may affect the detection and diagnosis of skin cancer. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to characterize skin cancers in the incarcerated population and determine time to treatment initiation (TTI) after biopsy. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed using data from a single-center referral hospital of incarcerated patients with biopsy-proven basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), or melanoma between January 2009 and December 2019. The main outcome measured was TTI after biopsy. RESULTS: One hundred thirteen patients, majority men (96.5%) and of Caucasian race (89.4%), were diagnosed and/or treated for 191 skin cancers. Of these 191 skin cancers, 118 were BCC (61.8%), 58 were SCC (30.4%), and 15 were melanomas (7.9%). The average TTI after biopsy for melanoma was 57 days (range: 21–136, median: 51, 95% confidence interval: 39.89–74.10) with an average Breslow depth of 1.57 mm. CONCLUSION: The average TTI of melanoma in the incarcerated population in this study was greater than 30 days, which may have increased mortality risk.