# Correlation analysis between surgical margin status and recurrence of basal cell carcinoma in high-risk anatomical locations

## TL;DR

This study shows that leaving cancer cells at the edges of removed skin tumors increases the chance of cancer coming back, especially in tricky body areas.

## Contribution

The study identifies specific margin thresholds and confirms their impact on recurrence in high-risk BCC locations.

## Key findings

- Positive surgical margins significantly increase recurrence risk in high-risk BCC locations.
- Margin distance has a dose-response relationship with recurrence probability.
- Histological subtypes and tumor size influence margin-recurrence dynamics.

## Abstract

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) represents the most common cutaneous malignancy, with tumors located in high-risk anatomical regions presenting significant challenges due to elevated recurrence rates and functional constraints. This retrospective cohort study investigated the relationship between surgical margin status and tumor recurrence in patients with BCC at high-risk sites. We analyzed clinical and pathological data from patients who underwent surgical excision, focusing on margin status classification, margin distance measurements, and recurrence outcomes during follow-up periods. Univariate analyses examined associations between margin status and various clinicopathological features, while multivariate Cox regression identified independent prognostic factors for recurrence. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis compared recurrence-free survival between margin-negative and margin-positive groups. Our findings demonstrated that positive surgical margins significantly increased recurrence risk in high-risk anatomical locations. Margin distance showed a dose-response relationship with recurrence probability, with specific threshold values correlating with optimal oncological outcomes. Histological subtypes and tumor size also influenced the relationship between margin status and recurrence. These results emphasize the critical importance of achieving adequate surgical margins during BCC excision at high-risk sites and provide evidence-based guidance for determining appropriate margin distances based on anatomical location and tumor characteristics.