Dermatologic Oncology: The Past 50 Years

Abstract

Background: Over the past five decades, dermatologic oncology has evolved with advances in both diagnosis and treatment of common and rare cutaneous malignancies. Melanoma, basal cell carcinoma (BCC), and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) are the most frequently studied skin cancers, while in recent years, there is increasing attention on rarer tumors such as Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), extramammary Paget disease (EMPD), and dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP). As the field has grown, Dermatologic Surgery ( DS ) has been at the forefront of shaping and reflecting these developments.

Objective: The authors' purpose in this article was to explore the numerous historical advancements in dermatologic oncology. The authors primarily focus on the three most common cutaneous tumors: BCC, cSCC, and melanoma, but the authors also cover in less detail three rare tumors: MCC, DFSP, and EMPD. The authors highlight the role of DS in this evolution.

Materials and methods: To identify studies to include or consider for this rapid review of the literature on the history of melanoma, BCC, cSCC, MCC, EMPD, and DFSP, the research team reviewed search terms to verify accuracy and relevance. One author (ET) developed a separate search strategy for each database in the methodology of a rapid review, aiming to accelerate evidence synthesis by streamlining traditional systematic review methods. The author searched the PubMed database (1975-present) and the DS database using the advanced search function. All database searches were conducted on February 25, 2025, and rerun on April 20, 2025. Each search included "dermatologic surgery" to specifically isolate dermatologic oncology in the dermatologic surgery literature. The full search strategies are provided in Supplemental Digital Content 1 , Appendices A and B, http://links.lww.com/DSS/B734 . Supplemental Digital Content 2 , Appendix B, http://links.lww.com/DSS/B734 searches were further separated into each year from 1975 to 2025.

Results: Between 1975 and April 20, 2025, there are 2,258 articles on PubMed related to Melanoma, and DS contains 602 of those articles (26.5%). There are 3,072 articles on PubMed for BCC, and of these, 164 are in DS (5.3%). There are 2,737 articles for cSCC on PubMed, and DS has published 129 (4.7%). Similarly, for MCC, EMPD, and DFSP, the total number of published articles since 1975 is 187, 186, and 359, respectively. Dermatologic Surgery has contributed 21 (11.2%), 19 (10.2%), and 87 (24.2%) of those articles for MCC, EMPD, and DFSP, respectively.

Conclusion: Dermatologic Surgery has played an important role in the evolution of dermatologic oncology, both by advancing the field and serving as a key platform for disseminating research. Over the past 50 years, the scope of research has expanded and shifted to explore new areas of study, accompanied by a significant rise in the volume of publications.