Epidemiological and Pathological Trends in Skin Cancer: A Hands-On Analysis of 10 Years of Data from the Saudi Cancer Registry

Muhannad Q Alqirnas,1 Amr Y Arkoubi,2 Rand Alshabnan,3 Alwaleed I Almughira,4 Moustafa Alhamadh,5 Faris A Aldaghri,2 Hatan Mortada,6 Waiel Daghistani2 1Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, King Salman Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Department of Anesthesia and Surgery, College of Medicine, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 3College of Medicine, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 4College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 5College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 6Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, King Saud University Medical City, King Saud University, and Department of Plastic Surgery & Burn Unit, King Saud Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Muhannad Q Alqirnas, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, King Salman Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Email [email protected]: Skin cancer is a major global health issue. Current literature focuses on Western countries whose characteristics of skin tone and cultures differ vastly from Saudi Arabia.Objective: To analyze skin cancer patterns in Saudi Arabia, focusing on regional differences and cancer types in a country with high sun exposure.Design: Retrospective cohort study utilizing the Saudi Health Council’s Cancer Registry for the requisite data for this study.Data Source: Ethical approval (637/2024) was prior to the beginning of this study. The Saudi Health Council’s Cancer Registry supplied the requisite data for this study.Subjects and Methods: We reviewed 6381 cases of skin cancer diagnosed in Saudi Arabia from 2010 to 2021. Inclusion Criteria was all histologically confirmed cases of primary skin cancer; exclusion criteria included tumors of secondary origin or cases with incomplete diagnostic data. Data on demographics, tumor types and regional trends were analyzed using IBM SPSS 27.0.1.Main Outcome Measures: Tumor factors were collected along with demographic variables.Results: A total of 6381 skin cancer cases were recorded. Skin cancer was more common in older men, who made up 62.7% of cases, with an average age of 62.5 years. Basal Cell Carcinoma was the most common type (49.5%), followed by Squamous Cell Carcinoma (25.6%). Most cases (76.6%) were caught early, with the Central region reporting the highest number of cases (31.8%), followed by the Western (26.3%) and Eastern (20.1%) regions.Conclusion: This study reveals significant differences in skin cancer rates across Saudi Arabia, particularly among older men and in specific regions. The results can help establish awareness programs targeting vulnerable populations and focusing on early detection and intervention, such as initiating targeted skin cancer screening or sun-protection campaigns in high-burden regions. They emphasise the need for the allocation of resources in the Central and Western regions.Limitations: The retrospective nature of the study does not allow for the full scope of patient behaviour or risk factors; there were also gaps in the data.Keywords: skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, Saudi Arabia