Background : The incidence of primary epithelial skin cancers is rising steadily, but little is khown of the clinical features of primary epithelial skin cancers, and limited data are available in Korea. Objective : Our purpose was to analyze the clinical characteristics of primary epithelial skin cancers. Methods : A retrospective analysis was conducted of 106 cases of primary epithelial skin cancers observed between 1989 and 1995. Results : 1. Basal cell curcinoma(BCC), 41 cases, was the most common skin cancer. The numbers of cases of squamosis cell carcinoma(SCC) and Bowens disease(BD) were 33 and 24, respectively. There were 3 cases of mixed type(BCC + SCC), 2 cases of Pagers disease and 3 cases of extramammary Pgets disease. 2. The average age at ciragnosis and the mean duration of disease were as follows . BCC(65.5 years old 4.34 years), SCC(70.2 years old-1.63 years), BD(59.3 years old-2.85 years) 3. The face was the most common anatomic site for BCC(93%) and SCC(70%), but the trunk was the most common site for BD. 4. The most common c inical type of BCC was the noduloulcerative type(65% ) and the solid type was t.he most frequert histologic type of BCC. 5. In histologic grading of SCC, grade I and II lesions occupied in 88% of total cases. The numbers of special variants of SCC were as follows aenoid(4), spindle cell(1), verrucous(2) Conclusions : 1. The average age of patient with primary epithelial skin cancers was older thar: in earlier reports in Korea, and was closer to the recent, reports in western count.ries. 2. The number of cases of BD was much higher than that reported previously. This emphasizeci the importance of tissue examination for the pigmented lesions of the skin, especially on the trunk and extremities. (Kor J Dermatol 1995;33(6): 1085-1090)