What is the second most common eyelid cancer?

What is the second most common eyelid cancer?

• A. Squamous cell carcinoma
• B. Basal cell carcinoma
• C. Melanoma
• D. Adnexal carcinoma

Answer: (A)

The key idea is how often eyelid cancers occur relative to each other. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common eyelid malignancy, typically presenting as a slow-growing, pearly, telangiectatic lesion. The second most common eyelid cancer is squamous cell carcinoma, which is less common than basal cell carcinoma but more likely to be aggressive, with a greater chance of local invasion and, though less often, metastasis. In some populations, sebaceous gland carcinoma is important to recognize and can be relatively more common, but widely the next in frequency after basal cell carcinoma is squamous cell carcinoma.

The key idea is how often eyelid cancers occur relative to each other. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common eyelid malignancy, typically presenting as a slow-growing, pearly, telangiectatic lesion. The second most common eyelid cancer is squamous cell carcinoma, which is less common than basal cell carcinoma but more likely to be aggressive, with a greater chance of local invasion and, though less often, metastasis. In some populations, sebaceous gland carcinoma is important to recognize and can be relatively more common, but widely the next in frequency after basal cell carcinoma is squamous cell carcinoma.