History of rosacea protective factor against facial BCC development

The study of 2453 patients with facial basal cell carcinomas revealed that those with a history of rosacea were significantly less likely to have facial BCC than those without a rosacea history.

Basal cell carcinoma is a skin cancer type that initiates in the basal cells — a type of cell within the skin that makes new skin cells.

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that primarily affects the central face. The skin condition can occur in anyone. But it's most common in middle-aged white women. Rosacea has no cure, but treatment can control and reduce the symptoms and signs. Previous studies have reported a significant association between a history of rosacea and an increased risk of all-location basal cell carcinoma development in women. However, further analysis of facial BCC has yet to be investigated despite the face being the primary location for rosacea occurrence.

To fill this knowledge gap, Erica M. Lin, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, and colleagues retrospectively assessed associations between the history of rosacea with the development of BCC of the face. The study included 2453 patients with facial basal cell carcinomas.

The study revealed the following findings:

• Patients with a history of rosacea were significantly less likely to have facial BCC compared with those without a history of rosacea. This association was specific to facial BCC, as no significant difference was observed when comparing BCC at other body sites.
• Female gender and older age were tied with a significantly increased risk of facial BCC, whereas skin colour and smoking did not show a significant association.

"Our findings suggest that a history of rosacea may be a protective factor against facial basal cell carcinoma development", the researchers concluded.

Reference:

Lin EM, Qureshi AA, Wisco O, Cho E. Single-institution retrospective study evaluating personal history of rosacea and risk of basal cell carcinoma of the face. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2023 Apr 13:S0190-9622(23)00637-0. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2023.03.055. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37061134.