How do I avoid getting it?
Prevention is the best way to avoid this disease. Though Basal Cell Carcinoma can develop anywhere on the body, and are not always caused by sun-damage to skin, the vast majority of new cases are caused by repetitive sun-exposure and sun-damage. Minimizing sun exposure, especially during the summer months, will significantly decrease your risk of triggering a Basal Cell Carcinoma. (Please refer to our page on minimizing sun exposure to learn exactly how to do this.)

How’s it treated if I get it?
If you have abnormally appearing changes on your skin that you think might be an early Basal Cell Carcinoma you should contact your family physician. Suspicious appearing skin growths are often sampled (e.g., a small piece of skin is removed) and sent to the laboratory where a pathologist (a specialist at looking at diseases under the microscope) will look to see if there is any evidence of cancer. If there is, the treatment is destruction of the cancerous areas. This is usually done by surgically cutting out the diseased skin under local anesthesia. Occasionally, the cancerous skin will be destroyed by freezing it with liquid nitrogen, or by destroying it with electricity or a laser. For more extensive cancers, or for cancers involving cosmetically important areas (such as the nose, lip, or ear folds), microscopically-controlled surgery (Mohs’ Surgery) is often the best choice. Usually, BCC is cured once the cancerous skin is completely removed as this type of cancer rarely spreads (metastasizes) to other areas.

Additional Information For more information on Basal Cell Carcinoma, click here.