BREAST CANCER AND BASAL CELL CARCINOMA IN THE SAME PATIENT - IS IT RANDOM? (CASE SERIES REPORTS)

Non-melanoma skin cancer, including basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas, is the most common cancer affecting white-skinned individuals and its incidence is increasing worldwide. Several studies have reported that individuals diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer are at higher risk of subsequent or prior diagnoses of second primary malignancies. We report a series of five cases with concomitant basal cell carcinoma and breast cancer; in two cases the basal cell carcinoma was diagnosed after the breast cancer and in three cases it preceded it. Considering the high frequency and low mortality of basal cell carcinomas, they offer an excellent opportunity to study the factors that put some individuals at increased risk of multiple malignancies.