Introduction: Timely diagnosis is a prerequisite for the successful treatment of malignant skin tumors. Late diagnosis leads a patient into a situation of losing valuable time and chance for cure.
Material and methods: A prospective study was conducted from February 2006 until August 2011 which analyzed the reasons that led to establishing the diagnosis of malignant skin tumors in 220 patients. Patients were divided into two groups: Group A (102 patients), patients with diagnosed melanoma, and group B (118 patients) of patients suffering from basocellular (BCC) and planocellular cell (PCC) skin cancer. Parameters for comparison of analysis results were the reasons for coming to examination and reasons for not coming to the examination, because of which skin cancers were not diagnosed in time.
Goal: To determine the factors that influences the establishment of late diagnosis and treatment of skin tumors.
Results: It was confirmed that the prejudices of patients that tumors of the skin "should not be operated because it is dangerous" is the main reason for late diagnosis. At the same time it is confirmed that the belief that it is unnecessary to operate congenital changes of the skin is the second most important reason for delayed diagnosis of malignant skin tumors.
Keywords: basocellular; late diagnosis; melanoma; planocellular; tumors of the skin..