Read more about this disease, some with Classification – Types – Signs and symptoms – Genetics – Pathophysiology – Diagnosis – Screening – Prevention – Treatment and management – Cures and much more, some including pictures and video when available.
Basal cell carcinoma is a type of skin cancer. It is the most common of all types of skin cancers. About 3 out of 10 caucasians can expect to develop a basal cell cancer in their lifetime in the United States.[1] It is a malignant epithelial cell tumor that begins as a papule (a small, circumscribed, solid elevation of the skin) and enlarges peripherally, developing into a crater that erodes, crusts and bleeds. Metastasis is rare, but local invasion destroys underlying and adjacent tissue. In 80 percent of all cases, basal cell cancers are found on the head and neck[2]. There appear to be an increase in incidence of basal cell cancer in the trunk in recent years.[3] It can be destructive and disfiguring. The risk of skin cancer is related to the amount of sun exposure and pigmentation in the skin. The longer the exposure to the sun and the lighter the skin, the greater the risk of skin cancer. There are three types of BCC: The most common type of basal cell carcinoma is nodular basal cell carcinoma, a flesh-colored (cream to pink), round or oval translucent nodule with overlying small blood vessels and a pearly-appearing rolled border. The second type of BCC is the pigmented lesion. This is darker than the nodular type, appearing blue, brown or black. It may be similar in appearance to the very aggressive malignant melanoma tumor. It is very important to distinguish between malignant melanomas and pigmented BCC. A third type of BCC is the superficial type, which appears as red, and often scaly, localized plaque. It is frequently confused with psoriasis or eczema. Basal cell skin cancer almost never spreads; however, large and longstanding tumours may metastasize into regional lymph nodes and surrounding areas such as nearby tissues and bone.[4][5]
Various forms are recognized:
About two-thirds of basal cell carcinomas occur on sun-exposed areas of the body. One-third occur on areas of the body that are not exposed to sunlight, emphasizing the genetic susceptibility of the basal cell cancer patients.
Basal cell carcinomas present as a firm nodule, clearly growing within the skin and below it, rather than on the surface.
Color varies from that of normal skin to dark brown or black, but there is a characteristic “pearly white” translucent quality on the periphery.
Basal cell carcinomas display a characteristic “rolled edge.” Once the basal cells have invaded the deeper tissues, the rolled edge disappears.
When BCCs occur at sites other than the face and neck, they are usually just red, flat, scaling areas. Thus, superficial BCCs can often be confused with a patch of eczema.
[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’Basal cell carcinoma’]