[Current surgical and adjuvant therapy concepts of malignant tumors of the facial skin and the pinna]. / Aktueller Stand der chirurgischen und adjuvanten Therapie der Malignome der Gesichtshaut und der Ohrmuschel.

ABSTRACT

Malignant tumors of the skin had been a rare entity 2 decades ago. Today they are spread rapidly worldwide. Malignant neoplasms of the skin, the largest human organ, may occur from all structures and layers. While previously skin cancer -occurred mainly after the age of 60, the incidence increases now in younger ages. Strong sunburns in the childhood and before the age of 20 are important risk factors for the development of malignancies of the skin. An increased exposure to UV rays is found especially in the facial skin, where basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, malignant melanoma and Merkel cell carcinomas are the most common malignancies. Early diagnosis of malignancies and therapy-oriented mostly surgical approaches are crucial for the prognosis of all skin cancers. Therefore under the aspect of the increasing incidence these topics will be pointed out according to the latest findings including current multimodal therapy concepts and future treatment options.