Basal cell carcinoma usually appears as a flesh-colored, pearly bump or patch that may
ulcerate or bleed spontaneously. The most common location for this cancer is the nose
as well as the rest of the face, but it can be found on almost any sun-exposed area of skin.
They are often mistaken for a sore that won't heal or one that heals over for a short time
and then turns into a sore again. Fortunately, most basal cell carcinomas are relatively
slow-growing and generally stay confined to the skin without the tendency to metastasize.
The choice of treatment
depends upon many factors, including its location on the skin surface, the subtype and aggressiveness
of the cancer, aesthetic implications of treatment, and even the health status of the patient.
In general, the treatment options are the same as for
squamous cell carcinoma.
Treatment options include:
- Electrodessication and curettage, also known as "scraping and burning,"
involves scraping away the diseased tissue and touching the area with an electric needle.
- Cryosurgery, or "freezing," involves
the use of liquid nitrogen applied directly to the skin surface.
- Radiation, although effective,
is infrequently used today due to the availability of safer,
less expensive alternatives.
- Traditional excision,
which involves surgically removing the diseased area and usually closing it with sutures (stitches).
- Injections, as well as
the topical application of prescription agents, are other measures that have been used to target the cancerous cells.
-
Mohs micrographic surgery is an advanced
treatment which
involves excision of the cancerous cells under complete microscopic control and is usually followed by closure with sutures, but it is generally reserved for selected cases.
