Stundys Domantas, Kučinskaitė Alvija, Gervickaitė Simona, Grigaitienė Jūratė, Tutkuvienė Janina, Jančorienė Ligita
Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 03101 Vilnius, Lithuania.
Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 03101 Vilnius, Lithuania.
Cancers (Basel). 2025 Jan 4;17(1):138. doi: 10.3390/cancers17010138.
Facial basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common skin cancer, yet delays in diagnosis and treatment persist. These delays affect quality of life (QoL), advance disease progression, and increase healthcare burden. This study explores the relationship between symptom diversity, QoL, and care-seeking behaviors, focusing on the impact of symptoms on clinical outcomes and consultation timing. A total of 278 adults with histologically confirmed facial BCC underwent surgical treatment at Vilnius University Hospital from November 2022 to April 2024. The data collected included demographics, tumor characteristics, and self-reported symptoms (pain, bleeding, itching, tumor presence, discomfort, and erosion). Disease-specific QoL was assessed using the Skin Cancer Index. ANCOVA compared QoL across symptom groups, multiple regression analyzed symptom effects on QoL, and logistic regression evaluated care-seeking behavior over time. Cox regression assessed symptom associations with time to medical consultation. The mean time from symptom onset to consultation was 21 months. Tumor presence (27%), erosion (18%), and discomfort (17%) were the most reported symptoms. Discomfort significantly reduced QoL in emotional, social, and appearance domains ( < 0.05). Logistic regression showed tumor presence and pain were associated with earlier care-seeking within 12 months ( < 0.05). Other symptoms, such as bleeding, itching, and erosion, did not significantly influence consultation timing. The findings highlight the need for public education and proactive patient counseling to promote timely intervention and reduce the disease progression.
面部基底细胞癌（BCC）是最常见的皮肤癌，但诊断和治疗延迟的情况仍然存在。这些延迟会影响生活质量（QoL），促进疾病进展，并增加医疗负担。本研究探讨症状多样性、生活质量和就医行为之间的关系，重点关注症状对临床结果和咨询时机的影响。2022年11月至2024年4月，共有278名经组织学确诊为面部基底细胞癌的成年人在维尔纽斯大学医院接受了手术治疗。收集的数据包括人口统计学、肿瘤特征和自我报告的症状（疼痛、出血、瘙痒、肿瘤存在、不适和糜烂）。使用皮肤癌指数评估特定疾病的生活质量。协方差分析比较了各症状组的生活质量，多元回归分析了症状对生活质量的影响，逻辑回归评估了随时间的就医行为。Cox回归评估症状与就医时间的关联。从症状出现到咨询的平均时间为21个月。最常报告的症状是肿瘤存在（27%）、糜烂（18%）和不适（17%）。不适在情感、社交和外观领域显著降低了生活质量（<0.05）。逻辑回归显示，肿瘤存在和疼痛与12个月内更早就医有关（<0.05）。其他症状，如出血、瘙痒和糜烂，对咨询时机没有显著影响。研究结果强调了开展公众教育和积极为患者提供咨询的必要性，以促进及时干预并减少疾病进展。
