Posts Tagged ‘Basal cell carcinoma’

Basal Cell carcinoma (a skin cancer) – Symptoms

Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) is a skin cancer that first surfaces as a papule – a circumscribed, small skin elevation which gradually enlarges and develops into a crater that crusts, erodes and bleeds. Metastasis in this condition is pretty rare but the invasion of cancer cells can destroy adjacent and underlying tissue. In most cases almost 90% of them, a lesion appears between the upper lip and hairline of the individual.
Basal Cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer and is not very lethal. It is more common in people above the age of 45years. Men are more prone to contracting this condition as compared to women. Caucasians are at a higher risk on getting basal cell carcinoma as compared to Asians and African-Americans. Sun exposure and skin color determine the risk of skin cancer. The longer the exposure of the skin to the sun and the lighter the skin color, higher is the risk.

Types of Basal Cell Carcinoma:
Nodular Basal Cell Carcinoma: This is the most common type of Basal Cell Carcinoma. It is characterized by an oval or round cream/pink translucent nodule that has blood vessels and a rolled border.
Pigmented Lesion: This type of Basal Cell Carcinoma is darker than nodular basal cell carcinoma. It could be brown, black and even blue in color. Pigmented basal cell carcinoma can appear similar to the malignant melanoma tumor and therefore it is imperative that you consult only an expert and make sure that the two are treated differently.
Superficial type: This basal cell carcinoma in most cases is misread as eczema or psoriasis. It is characterized by scaly, red localized plaque.

It is the ultraviolet radiation of the sun that is the main cause of basal cell carcinoma. The incidence of basal cell carcinoma has been steadily increasing since the 1970’s given the inability of the ozone layer to protect the earth from these harmful rays. The ozone layer is getting depleted with every passing year and the UV radiation from the sun is just getting stronger. Clinical trials are taking place all over the world to test if this type of skin cancer can be prevented.

Symptoms of Basal Cell Carcinoma:
Basal cell carcinoma is characterized by five distinct characteristics. Each is very different from the other and in all likeliness two or more that two characteristics are present in the tumor. Some types of basal cell carcinoma such as the superficial type of basal cell carcinoma appear as psoriasis or eczema. Therefore it is essential to trust only an expert dermatologist to diagnose this cancer.
Regular check ups at a doctor’s clinic or self check ups are essential if you want to ensure that the condition is treated at the earliest. Understanding the signs of the condition and paying attention to what to look for can save you and your family much grief.

A few symptoms are highlighted below:

1. If you have a sore that has not healed in a long time about three week, this could be a sign.
2. Presence of an irritated are or a reddish patch. This patch may appear on the shoulders, arms, chest or legs. It may or may not cause discomfort.
3. A round smooth growth with a border around it that is elevated and a slight indentation in the center. Tiny blood vessels will start developing on the surface as the growth enlarges.
4. A translucent nodule that could be red, white or pink in color. The nodule could also be confused with a mole as it may appear in colors of black, brown or tan.
5. Certain areas of the skin may develop a scar like appearance. It has as a yellow or white waxy like appearance and has ill defined borders.

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Basal Cell Carcinoma – Treatment – a common type of skin cancer

Basal Cell Carcinoma is a very common type of skin cancer. It can take years to surface and spread and is typically of three types. Basal cell carcinoma usually looks like a skin condition, however only a good dermatologist can tell you if it is a cancer. And therefore one must go in for regular check ups to ensure that one can treat the cancer if a malignant basal cell carcinoma tumor is lurking underneath the skin surface.
If you are experiencing the symptoms of basal cell carcinoma it is important that you check with your dermatologist at the earliest. They will help detect the tumor and will prescribe treatment that will help kill the cancer cells. A few treatment options are highlighted below:

Curettage and Electrodessication: Curettage and Electrodessication involve getting rid of the tumor with the help of an electrocautery device. The treatment involves destroying the tumor and then scraping the surface with the assistance of a curette. Often one can differentiate the tissues as being diseased or normal simply by feeling the texture while scraping the area. The process is carried on a few times to make sure that the tumor has been removed in totality. However this process should only be followed for tumors that are relatively small – less than 6 mm as the procedure may leave a scar.

Simple Excision: As the name suggests this procedure is very simple and involves a surgical excision of the lesion and a little bit of the normal skin. This process as apposed to curettage and electrodessication is ideal for tumors that are larger about 2 cm in size. This procedure is usually used to treat tumors that surface on the forehead, trunk, legs or cheek. Simple excision is one of the most easiest and inexpensive procedures. However it is essential that one consults only a good surgeon as the difference between the diseased skin and normal skin has to be judged only with the help of a naked and experienced eye.

Mohs’ Micrographic Surgery: Only a Moh’s surgeon can perform this surgery. The Moh’s Micrographic surgery is a very special kind of skin surgery that involves removal of the tumor surgically and instant examination under a microscope to figure out the margins. This process ensures that if any residual tumor is left it can be removed immediately. Under this procedure, the microscope is used to examine residual tissues over and over again to ensure that the area is wiped clean of the tumor. This is one of the best processes as it is definitive and it is most likely that the tumor will not occur again. However it is a very time consuming process and a very expensive one too.

Radiation Therapy: Radiation therapy is ideally used for patients who cannot undergo surgery. The process is simple and involves a course of radiation to the area that has been infected by the tumor. Often the procedure is used for tumors that are in areas that are difficult to operate on. The process is not very popular and is often used only where the tissue around the area infected needs to be preserved such as the lip.

Cryotherapy: This procedure is ideal for small, superficial and well defined tumors. It involves freezing the tissue in liquid nitrogen to destroy it. Cryotherapy is used as a treatment for actinic keratosis, which is a premalignant condition. This is indeed one of the most effective and efficient processes to destroy the tissue. However it cannot be used to treat a large number of cases.

Basal Cell Carcinoma – Type of skin cancer

There are a number of different types of skin cancers depending on the type of skin cell from which they arise. Each kind of skin cancer has its own distinctive appearance. Certain skin cancers also tend to develop in specific areas of the body.

BASAL CELL CARCINOMA : This cancer is the most common type, and is the type of skin cancer that 90% of US citizen are diagnosed with.
- Basal cell carcinoma arises from the basal cells in the bottom layer of the epiderrmis – stratum basale.
- Basal cell carcinoma does not metastasize like the other skin cancers, but can still badly damage the area they occupy.
- It resembles a small nodule that is red in color, and located on the face, hands, or sometimes the torso. Occasionally, these nodules appear on the trunk of the body, usually as flat growths.
- Basal cell carcinoma can lead to the loss of organ function on such external organs as the ears or eyes.
- Although most cases of basal cell carcinoma are caused by the sun, other exposures can have the same results. Arsenic, severe burns, tattooing, vaccinations, and radiation can all cause basal cell carcinoma.

The variety in which basal cell carcinoma can appear makes for hard diagnosis. It can hide itself in the form of a mosquito bite, wart, rash, or cyst. For these reasons it is important for one to see a physician if any area of sun exposed skin looks unusual or has had prolonged pain.