Improving outcomes for people with skin tumours including melanoma

Two-week wait data
Urgent skin cancer referrals made using the 2-week wait criteria in
England, which reflect MM and SCC outpatient workloads (but exclude
precancerous lesions and BCC), accounted for 12.4% of all 2-week wait
referrals during the fourth quarter of 2004/2005 [27]. Skin is the thirdcommonest
group of cancers to be referred after breast and lower
gastrointestinal cancers. An overview of 52 audit studies of skin cancer
referrals under the 2-week rule found that MM and SCC account for
10–12% of the referrals, with the remainder found to be benign lesions
[28].
Primary care activity
There is a paucity of evidence regarding the current levels of
management and/or biopsy of skin tumours in primary care. Following
the first stakeholder consultation of this guidance, the results of nine
audits from NHS trusts in England (see Evidence Review) were
submitted to the NCC-C and gave an indication of the wide range of
activity in primary care. A summary of these data is provided below.
For all skin tumours, the proportion biopsied in primary care ranged
from 1.2% to 17%. Audit data estimated that:
• between 1.4% and 13% of MM are biopsied in primary care
• between 0.7% and 10% of SCC are biopsied in primary care
• between 1.3% and 8.8% of BCC are biopsied in primary care.
These proportions should reduce once this guidance is implemented.
Improving Outcomes for
People with Skin Tumours
including Melanoma
Background
1
Guidance on cancer services: skin tumours including melanoma
25