Basal cell carcinoma is probably the most common type of skin cancer, but it might be easily missed or confused with one other skin problem.
Doctors often discover cancer during a routine skin examination, says Dr. Melissa Piliang, chief of dermatology at Cleveland Clinic. “The patient may not have even noticed” the symptoms of the disease, she added.
IN Post on Facebook this week, health and fitness expert Richard Simmons announced that he had been treated for basal cell carcinoma. He said he first noticed a “weird-looking lump” under his eye, which he tried to treat with Neosporin. It was only after a visit to a dermatologist that Simmons was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma.
Although it might be difficult for patients to discover the basal cell carcinoma it’s estimated to affect several million people within the United States yearly – could be very treatable. Here’s what you wish to find out about causes, prevention and treatment.
What causes basal cell carcinoma? And how does it differ from other skin cancers?
In humans, basal cell carcinoma often develops after exposure to UV radiation through sunlight, tanning beds, or tanning lamps. The disease is the results of cumulative, chronic exposure, says Dr. Karen Connolly, a dermatologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Research suggests it occurs most frequently in adults over the age of 40.
The disease begins within the basal cells, that are present in the outer layer of the skin. Another sort of skin cancer can develop in squamous cells.
Basal cell carcinoma is more common and far less deadly than one other type of skin cancer, melanoma, which grows in skin cells called melanocytes. Melanoma is particularly dangerous because if left untreated, it might grow quickly and spread to other parts of the body. Dr. Connolly says melanomas often appear darker or browner than basal cell carcinomas, but patients should report any concerning changes to their dermatologist.
What does basal cell carcinoma seem like?
Basal cell carcinoma is common in areas of the body most exposed to the sun: often the top, face, neck and arms, said Dr. Paras Vakharia, assistant professor of dermatology at Northwestern Medicine. In most cases, the changes are “pink and pearly,” he said. “They almost look a little shiny,” he said. Sometimes they could be brown, blue or gray. Dr. Piliang says the lesions may also bleed easily, including when washing your face.
“When I educate patients, I tell them to look for pimples that aren’t healing,” she added.
People sometimes confuse basal cell carcinoma with pimples scars, minor skin injuries, moles, warts, or freckles. according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
How to treat and stop basal cell carcinoma?
Basal cell carcinoma grows slowly, nevertheless it’s vital to treat the disease as soon as possible, doctors say.
Doctors use several different methods to treat this disease. One is often called Mohs surgery, during which doctors remove thin layers of skin one after the other to do away with cancerous lesions. In other cases, doctors may perform a procedure called electroossification and curettage, or as Dr. Connolly puts it, “burn and scrape” the skin growths. Dr. Vakharia says that if the cancer could be very small, it might be treated with chemotherapy cream.
Basal cell carcinoma is never fatal. Dr. Connelly said patients sometimes “hear the word ‘cancer’ and think, ‘I’m going to die from this.’ However, she explained, most cases “don’t even have any impact on the patients’ overall health.”
However, Dr. Vakharia said a diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma should send a clear message to patients that “they need to be more careful with sun exposure.” He encouraged people to wear a wide-brimmed hat that fully protects their face from UV rays and to use a sunscreen of at least SPF 30. If you are outdoors for a long time, reapply sunscreen, he added.
“Using a tanning bed is definitely inappropriate,” Dr. Connolly said. She said growing evidence links indoor tanning with an increased risk of melanoma.
If you’ve had significant sun exposure throughout your life, your sunburn has been so severe that it has blistered, or if you have a family history of skin cancer, you may want to see a dermatologist for a basic skin exam, Dr. Vakharia added. .
In general, people should take time to scan their skin every month or so, Dr. Connolly says, to “ensure that nothing latest is growing or changing rapidly.”
