Immunohistochemical evaluation of E-cadherin expression in basal cell carcinoma of the skin

Basal cel l carcinoma (BCC) of the skin is histomorphologically and phenotypically very heterogeneous neoplasia. In contrast to most other cancers, it possess some unique features, such as slow local growth, strong stroma-dependency, and virtual absence of metastases [1-5]. Although mortality rates are very low, some BCCs may grow aggressively causing extensive tissue destruction and repeated recurrences after treatment [1-4]. Therefore, based on different biological behaviour and prognosis we distinct two BCC subgroups: Indolent subtypes (superficial and nodular), and aggressive subtypes (infiltrative, micronodular BCC and metatypical carcinoma) [1,3]. Recently, there is not definitively explained, whether they are a part of a continuous spectrum of tumorigenesis, starting with indolent and ending with aggressive forms, or they represent separate developmental lines [6].