Basal Cell Cancer

Common and treatable

Basal Cell Cancer (BCC) will affect one in five Americans.  It is most often found on the face, neck, hands, or other parts of the body that have been exposed to the sun. The good news is that detection is relatively simple and if found early, treatment is simple and usually successful.

BCC can have many different appearances: a red patch or irritated area; a smooth, shiny and waxy looking bump; a white or yellow scar-like area; a smooth reddish growth; or an open sore that won't heal, bleeds or oozes. Because many skin spots fit this description, often a biopsy has to be taken to confidently diagnose the cancer.

The factors that influence the choice of treatment are the size, shape, location and type of basal cell cancer.  Small basal cell cancers, less than one half an inch, can be treated by many methods. Most commonly used is curettage and electrodessication (scraping away the tumor tissue and then destroying a thin surrounding layer with heat). Other commonly used treatments are surgical excision and destruction with liquid nitrogen.

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Basal Cell Cancer