Dermatology-Related Quality of Life Measured with the Dermatology Life Quality Index in Basal Cell Carcinoma and Other Non-Melanoma Skin Cancers: A Systematic Review and Exploratory Meta-Analysis

Background/Objectives: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common skin cancer and may negatively influence a patient’s well-being despite low mortality. This systematic review and exploratory meta-analysis evaluated dermatology-related quality of life, as measured exclusively by the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), in patients with BCC and other non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC). Instruments other than the DLQI, including disease-specific measures of appearance, scarring, fear of recurrence and treatment satisfaction, were outside the scope of the quantitative synthesis. Methods: A systematic search of the PubMed, Scopus, and the Web of Science was conducted until 5 April 2026 following the PRISMA guidelines. Studies reporting DLQI outcomes in adult patients with BCC, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), or NMSC were included. Pooled baseline DLQI scores and pre- to post-treatment changes were calculated using a random effects model. Results: Six studies were included. The pooled baseline DLQI score was 3.76 (95% CI: 2.18–5.33) in the BCC-only analysis and 4.07 (95% CI: 2.99–5.15) in an exploratory expanded analysis including SCC and broader NMSC populations; this estimate should be interpreted as a summary of heterogeneous keratinocyte cancer populations rather than as representative of BCC alone. None of the included studies had an untreated comparator group, so the pre–post results describe the change in DLQI score following treatment rather than a treatment effect. The pooled reduction was 2.38 points (95% CI: 0.56–4.19) in the BCC-only and 1.90 points (95% CI: 0.84–2.96) in the expanded pre–post analysis. Both fall below the minimal clinically important difference for the DLQI of approximately four points. Heterogeneity was very high throughout (I2 > 95% for baseline analyses), so the pooled means summarize highly dispersed evidence and cannot be read as representative average values. Surgical treatment appeared to show a greater improvement in DLQI scores compared with the single available radiotherapy cohort. This comparison should be interpreted descriptively due to the inclusion of only one radiotherapy study. Conclusions: Patients with BCC and other NMSCs experience measurable impairment in dermatology-related quality of life before treatment, although the overall burden is generally mild. Treatment is associated with improvement in DLQI scores; however, the magnitude of change is modest and may not consistently exceed thresholds considered clinically meaningful. Evidence regarding differences between treatment modalities remains limited, particularly for radiotherapy, and further prospective studies using disease-specific quality-of-life instruments are needed.