A Doctor can often diagnose basal cell carcinoma on sight. However, formal diagnosis is essential, especially given the possibility of morpheaform BCC. A skin biopsy is almost always done to confirm diagnosis. A biopsy also determines the presence of a more aggressive form of skin cancer, such as malignant melanoma.

Treatment of Basal Cell Cancer

The treatment for BCC aims at the removal of the cancer, prevent the spread of cancer, and minimize any damage from treatment to nearby healthy tissue. Treatment options may involve removal of the entire skin growth with surgery, radiation therapy and drug treatment.

Because non-melanoma skin cancer usually grows slowly, it often can be detected and treated early in its development, which increases the chance of treatment being successful. Educating the patients about self-examination is important, as recurrence of skin cancer is possible.

High Risk Groups

People with light skin colour are more at risk of getting BCC, but BCC does occur in dark skinned people. Those who have a family history of skin cancer or a personal history of skin cancer are also at a much higher risk. The risk for BCC is high in people who have had kidney or heart transplants or in those who are immuno-suppressed due to other reasons.

Skin Protection

Limiting exposure to the sun and other sun protection measures such as use of sunscreen can help prevent the development of new skin cancers and may also help prevent skin cancer from developing in new areas.

This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.