BASAL
CELL CARCINOMA|
What
is it?
Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) is the most common skin cancer
affecting over 500,000 people every year. BCC usually develops
in older individuals after years of sun exposure and sunburns.
Fair-skinned individuals (of Celtic ancestry) are at increased
risk of BCC, though anybody can get it. Because of BCC's
direct relationship to sun-damaged skin, it is usually found
on sun-exposed areas (scalp, forehead, face, nose, neck,
and back). Like all cancers, BCC is essentially normal skin
cells that now are multiplying out-of-control.
What's
it look like?
Basal Cell Carcinoma can take many different appearances.
Classically, it is described as a smooth, pearly-shaped
lump often with a small veins (telangectasia) snaking around
the surface. Depending on where and how long its been there,
BCC can look very different. Left untreated, BCC can eat
away at the skin, making it look as if a rat had chewed
at it. This type of BCC is called a "rodent ulcer".
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Basal
Cell Carcinoma of eyelid
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Basal
Cell Carcinoma, rodent ulceration
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Basal Cell Carcinoma on the nose
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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.
