BASAL CELL CARCINOMA (BCC)

The BCC is the most common skin cancer occurring in man.  It develops on sun-exposed areas of the body eg face, chest, shoulders, upper back and the arms.  It is seen exclusively in light skinned individuals and is almost never diagnosed in people with pigmented skin.  BCCs are usually not dangerous as they do not commonly spread to distant parts of the body.

Biopsy

In order to confirm the diagnosis, a minute piece of skin is removed under local anaesthetic and sent to the laboratory for analysis. A skin biopsy is usually taken before further treatment is planned.

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How is BCC treated?

• Surgical excision - the BCC is cut out and the skin stitched together.

• Moh's surgery - a specialised type of surgical treatment where only minimal tissue is excised

• Cryosurgery - treatment with liquid nitrogen

• Radiotherapy - using X Rays

• Interferon - injected into the BCC three times a week for 3 weeks (9 injections in total)

• Imiquimod - applied on a BCC on three days a week for six weeks.  Used only for Superficial BCC.

• PDT - Photodynamic therapy is a latest innovation in the treatment of BCCs - particularly superficial BCCs.

• Small BCCs may also be treated with electrocautery