All About Basal Cell Carcinoma: Understanding the Most Common Skin Cancer

You’re probably already very familiar with melanoma, an aggressive type of skin cancer that can be incredibly dangerous if left untreated. It’s discussed often since it poses so many risks to your health. 

Because of this, you may not know quite as much about basal cell carcinoma. Although it’s not nearly as serious as melanoma, it’s still the most common type of skin cancer, with four million cases diagnosed in the United States every year. 

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, so our team at Thomas Dermatology wants to take the time in this month’s blog to educate you on basal cell carcinoma, ensuring that you’re informed on how to prevent this common type of skin cancer and what to do should you develop it. 

Explaining basal cell carcinoma

The outermost layer of your skin, called the epidermis, is lined with basal cells. These cells replace all your old skin cells with new ones. They do this by dividing and copying themselves, sending the old ones to the skin’s surface so they can leave your body. 

Basal cell carcinoma is cancer that develops in the basal cells, resulting in tumors that develop on the skin’s surface. These tumors usually look like small, shiny bumps and typically show up on your nose and other portions of your face. However, they can develop anywhere on your body.

While it’s rare for basal cell carcinoma to move to other parts of your body (metastasize), it can spread to nearby bone or tissue and lead to disfigurement if left untreated. 

Causes of and risk factors for basal cell carcinoma

Most types of skin cancer develop due to prolonged exposure to the sun or ultraviolet (UV) light, and basal cell carcinoma is no exception. Even occasional exposure that results in sunburn could lead to basal cell carcinoma.

There are a number of things that can increase your risk of developing basal cell carcinoma, including:

• Having fair skin
• Having skin that freckles or burns easily
• Having a family history of basal cell carcinoma
• Using tanning beds frequently 
• Living in a high altitude or sunny location

In addition, if you’ve had basal cell carcinoma in the past, it’s likely to develop again.

Diagnosing basal cell carcinoma

If you notice any type of suspicious bump or lump on your skin, have it examined as soon as possible by our dermatology team at Thomas Dermatology. Your provider can then perform a thorough skin check, where they’ll be able to immediately spot any areas that look suspicious or potentially cancerous. 

Your provider may recommend a skin biopsy if they do find anything that could be basal cell carcinoma. This allows the team at our on-site pathology lab to provide a correct diagnosis and subsequent treatment plan. 

Treating basal cell carcinoma

Should you get a basal cell carcinoma diagnosis, here’s what you can expect from our treatment options:

Excision of the lesion (excisional surgery)

This is the most common procedure we use for treating skin cancer. We simply apply a local anesthetic before cutting out the tumor and some of the surrounding tissue with a scalpel. 

Mohs surgery

If your tumor is large or in a sensitive area of your body, we may use the Mohs surgical method. During this procedure, your provider removes a very thin layer of the tumor and then examines it under a microscope. They repeat this process until the exact location of the cancer is found.

Radiation

Radiation is an option that’s available to you if surgery isn’t feasible or desirable. It can also be added as a supplemental cancer treatment. When you receive radiation, a small device is placed over the cancerous area, and low energy X-rays are then sent out to eliminate the cancer cells. 

Preventing basal cell carcinoma

The best way to avoid developing basal cell carcinoma is to limit your exposure to the sun during the brightest parts of the day and to UV light from tanning beds. If you do go outside, even for short periods of time, make sure to wear sunscreen. 

To catch basal cell carcinoma early, it’s important to check your skin regularly for suspicious spots and to see our team of dermatologists yearly for skin checks.

For more information on any kind of skin cancer, or to schedule a skin check, call your nearest office location, or book online with us today. We proudly serve the Las Vegas and Henderson, Nevada; and Lake Havasu City, Kingman, and Bullhead City, Arizona, areas.