Skincare Treated

Basal Cell Cancer is Curable

Skin cancer is usually classified into three types – basal cell cancer, squamous cell cancer and melanoma. Basal cell cancer does not spread or metastasize and is called non-melanotic, while squamous cell cancer and melanoma spreads to other parts of the skin and body.

What is it?

Basal cell cancer develops when the basal cells of the skin turns malignant. The basal cells are tiny round cells that are embedded in the lower part, or the base, of the outermost layer of the skin called the epidermis.

Basal cell cancer is the most common type of skin cancer. In fact, 90 per cent of all skin cancer falls into this category.

The warning sign of basal cell cancer is to watch for a skin would that refuses to heal. And though this could be due to one of many reasons, it is a pointer to basal cell cancer.

Victims are Older

This type of cancer usually develops later in life after the age of 50. This is so because it is the result of years of skin damage due to ultraviolet light. Hence, minimizing sun exposure from an early age is advisable.

Where does basal cell cancer manifest itself? These skin lesions commonly appear on the face, especially on and around the nose, and on the neck. These are areas of high exposure to the sun.

However, it is not uncommon to find these lesions on the abdomen, leg, back and scalp as well.

What Does It Look Like?

Basal cell cancer lesions are small, round, dome-shaped bumps. They look like an exaggerated form of a healthy basal cell. Malignant basal cells, however, are usually coated with blood vessels that are dilated and look like threads on the surface of the skin.

Most basal call lesions are cream-colored or white. But some of them are highly pigmented, with lots of melanin inside.

There are several procedures to diagnose basal cell cancer. First and foremost, a biopsy is necessary, where a portion of the lesion is cut away for analysis.

What is Curettage?

If the lesion is small, it may be removed by simply scraping it off. This is called curettage. The cancerous tissue is literally scraped off the skin.

Just to make sure all the cancerous cells are removed, the surgeon applies an electric current to the skin. This is called desiccation.

If the basal cell cancer lesion is large, it is surgically removed and the wound is then sewed up.

Other ways to remove basal cell cancer is by radiation therapy, cryosurgery or Mohs surgery.