Dynamics of the incidence of non-melanoma malignant neoplasms in the Republic of Uzbekistan for the 2018–2022

Introduction. Non-melanoma skin cancers (NMNCs) are the most common human malignancies and have been on the rise for many years. These tumors is a large heterogeneous group that most often occurs in people over 65 years of age, which is a minority of the population of Uzbekistan. Which means that the calculation of standardized indicators allows us to reveal the true picture of the incidence, adjusted for the age limit.

Aim. To study and analyze the incidence rates of non-melanoma malignant skin tumors at the national level.

Materials and methods. We conducted a retrospective search in the cancer registry databases for the period from 2018 to 2022 at Republican Specialized Scientific and Practical Medical Center of Oncology and Radiology using International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD) 10th revision codes C44.0–C44.9. The study included all initially identified patients aged 18 years and older with a histopathologically confirmed diagnosis of basal or squamous cell carcinoma. All patients were divided into 5-year age intervals to calculate standardized indicators according to the world standard.

Results. In total, 4986 cases of NMNCs were detected in Uzbekistan for the period 2018-2022. The results of the analysis of the study showed that the standardized incidence rates were higher than the intensive rates in all years for 2018–2022. From 2018 to 2020, the standardized incidence rate of NMNCs decreased by 33 %. In 2022, it was 3.8 (which is 15 % lower than in 2018). Standardized incidence rates in patients under the age of 40 increased by 50 % from 2018 to 2022, which may indicate a younger incidence of NMNCs.

Conclusion. Studying and understanding current epidemiological trends in NMLCs is critical to achieving early and adequate control of these common skin cancers. Effective strategies for primary prevention and screening of skin cancer need to be developed to reduce morbidity and mortality from NMNCs.