Background: There are few prospective studies on the recurrence rates of basal cell carcinoma after different surgical modalities.
Material and methods: 263 primary basal cell carcinomas in as many patients were included from five dermatological departments in Norway. Patients on immunosuppressive medications were not included. All diagnoses were confirmed by histopathology. Primary end point was recurrence after five years, secondary end point cosmetic outcome.
Results: Observational data were available in 245 patients, in 160 at 5 years. Recurrence rate at 5 years was 7% after both surgical excision and cryosurgery. The cosmetic outcome was satisfactory in most cases. Tumour size was a risk factor for recurrence, localization was not.
Interpretation: Excision surgery and cryosurgery achieve low recurrence rates and acceptable cosmetic outcome in basal cell carcinoma.