Basal Cell Carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common cancer in humans. Approximately 3.6 million cases are diagnosed annually in the United States. Nearly 1/3 of Caucasian men and 1/4 of Caucasian women are diagnosed with BCC during their lifetime.

BCCs are quite variable in their appearance. They often present as a persistent sores, red bumps, pearly growths, or flat pink spots. BCCs may crust, bleed, ooze, or cause pain. There are several subtypes of BCC, including the basosquamous, infiltrative, infundibulocystic, micronodular, morpheaform, nodular, and superficial types. Basosquamous, infiltrative, micronodular, and morpheaform BCCs tend to be more aggressive, with regard to local destruction, recurrence, and metastasis, than the other types.

While BCCs are locally destructive, with early detection and treatment, they are usually curable and have only a low risk of spreading. The metastasis rate of BCCs is about 1 in 35,000. While there are a variety of treatment options, Mohs surgery offers the highest cure rate. Other treatment options include standard excision, local destruction, topical medication, systemic therapy and radiation. The preferred treatment depends on a variety of factors including the type of BCC, its location and size, patient comorbidities and medications, and patient goals of care.