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Soo Park, MD
Soo Park, MD
Posted: Thursday, October 10, 2024
Efforts to redefine the term non-melanoma skin cancer when describing keratinocyte-derived skin cancers have resulted in the unanimous decision to use the preferred terminology of keratinocyte cancer, according to a study published in Acta Dermato-Venereologica (ActaDV). This revised terminology is more precise and may positively impact patient and physician communication, suggested Wolfgang G. Philipp-Dormston, MD, of the University Witten-Herdecke, Germany, and colleagues.
A group of European dermato-oncologists were recruited to review the current terminology associated with keratinocyte-derived skin cancers and make appropriate amendments. Five statements supporting the use of the term keratinocyte cancer were established and presented to 13 experts in the field for review (with between 20 and 55 years of experience). The experts rated their agreement with the statements using a five-point Likert scale or answering yes or no for the single dichotomous question. A consensus decision was achieved when 80% of members agreed with the statement. These same questions were presented to European delegates at the 2023 Annual Congress of the European Society for Photodynamic Therapy (n = 112) to appeal to a broader audience.
For all five statements, there was 100% consensus among the experts. When the same questions were presented to the European delegates, 97% agreed or strongly agreed with the utility of the term keratinocyte cancer to provide a more specific definition with increased precision. Similarly, 93% of delegates agreed with the idea that keratinocyte cancer emphasizes uniqueness and independence as its own group of skin cancers. Moreover, keratinocyte cancer was preferred by 89% of delegates over the use of non-melanoma skin cancer.
Disclosure: For full disclosures of the study authors, visit medicaljournalssweden.se.
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