To the Editor.—
In the original contribution "Recent experience with skin cancer" by Freeman and Knox,1 the authors stated that the average incidence for the entire United States yields a ratio of four basal cell epitheliomas to one squamous cell carcinoma, but the ratios vary in specific geographic areas, ie, 2:1 in Texas2 to 9:1 in Philadelphia.3 Their own data from 1958 to 1967 revealed a total of 8,953 basal cell epitheliomas and 2,412 squamous cell carcinomas. The authors further observed a progressive statistically significant change toward a higher basal-to-squamous cell carcinoma ratio during the last ten years with a total B/S ratio of 3.7:1. The paper concluded with a request for similar prevalence studies.The following data were organized from the results of 6,983 skin biopsies submitted to the Pathology Service, Brooke General Hospital from 1964 to 1969. During that period, a total of 1,010 basal