Treatment for Basal Cell Carcinoma Skin Cancer

Author: peterhutch

Basal Cell Carcinoma is a very common type of skin disorders but is very dangerous also. Basal cell carcinomas enlarge slowly and steadily and can invade neighboring tissue, like the eye, but they usually do not spread to distant parts of the body (metastasize). Basal cell carcinomas are the result of sun damage to the skin.


Risk factors:


Age. Most skin cancers appear after age 50, but the sun's damaging effects begin at an early age. Therefore, protection should start in childhood in order to prevent skin cancer later in life.


Exposure to ultraviolet radiation in tanning booths. Tanning booths are very popular, especially among adolescents, and they even let people who live in cold climates radiate their skin year-round.


Therapeutic radiation, such as that given for treating other forms of cancer.


Causes


Skin cancer is divided into two major groups: non-melanoma and melanoma. Basal cell carcinoma is a type of non-melanoma skin cancer, and is the most common form of cancer in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, 75% of all skin cancers are basal cell carcinomas.


Arsenic exposure: Chronic exposure to arsenic is associated with BCC development. Exposure may be medicinal, occupational, or dietary.


Immunosuppression: Immunosuppression is associated with a modest increase in the risk of BCC.


Xeroderma pigmentosum: This autosomal-recessive disease predisposes people to rapid aging of exposed skin, starting with pigmentary changes and progressing to BCC.


Exams and Tests


Your doctor will check your skin and look at the size, shape, color, and texture of any suspicious areas.


If skin cancer is a possibility, a piece of skin will be removed from the area so that is can be examined under a microscope. This is called a skin biopsy. This must be done to confirm the diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma or other skin cancers. There are many types of skin biopsies. The exact procedure depends on the location of the suspected skin cancer.


Treatment


Treatment is more likely to work well when cancer is found early. If not treated, some types of skin cancer cells can spread to other tissues and organs. If a melanoma has spread, chemotherapy can be used, but it is not usually effective. After a melanoma has spread, surgery and radiotherapy can be used on the secondary tumours. This will prolong life but it is not a cure. In the case of disease that has spread (metastasized) further surgical or chemotherapy may be required.


Mohs surgery: Mohs surgery (or Mohns micrographic surgery) is an outpatient procedure in which the tumor is surgically excised and then immediately examined under a microscope. The base and edges are microscopically examined to verify sufficient margins before the surgical repair of the site. If the margins are insufficient, more is removed from the patient until the margins are sufficient. Specially trained dermasurgeons do this procedure, usually in-office. Mohs surgery is the recommended procedure for basal cell carcinoma of the face, ears, hands, fingers, distal forearms, and distal lower extremities. Its use is also highly recommended for squamous cell carcinoma; however, the cure rate is not as high as Mohs surgery for basal cell carcinoma.

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