Basal Cell Carcinoma

Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common cancer in humans. Approximately 75 – 80% of non-melanoma skin cancers are basal cell carcinomas. Basal cell carcinomas arise from the bottom layer of the skin’s surface and generally grow very slowly over a number of months.

Although basal cell carcinomas rarely metastsize, and thus rarely cause death, they can result in significant morbidity if not correctly diagnosed and managed. Because the incidence continues to rise, basal cell carcinomas represent a significant health problem from the standpoint of a patient’s wellbeing.

When a basal cell carcinoma is treated for the first time, it is the best opportunity to completely remove it as subsequent treatments have a lower chance of success. The aim is to remove the tumour from the patient and if this goal is not achieved initially, the other criteria will not be met. The cosmetic outcome should not be the top consideration for risk of failure to cure the patient. 

When discussing management of your basal cell carcinoma with your dermatologic surgeon, it is important to be aware of the likely recurrence rates for any given modality or treatment for your particular type of basal cell carcinoma and its individual location. The principles we adopt at the Skin Specialist Centre in the management of basal cell carcinoma are widely used by specialist dermatologic surgeons:

• Total removal or destruction of the basal cell carcinoma
• Preservation of function
• Preservation of normal tissue
• Optimal cosmetic result

With the increased incidence of basal cell carcinoma, there is certainly a need for a variety of treatment options. Counselling patients about these multiple modalities and providing them with the expected cure rates certainly benefits patients for the management of these skin cancers.