Basal Cell Carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma is a kind of cancer of the skin. It is caused by damage to the skin by the sun. This cancer arises in the basal cells. The basal cells are at the bottom of the outer skin or the epidermis. People who work outdoors are the ones most affected by the disease. Mostly men are affected by basal cell carcinoma but the number of women affected by it is increasing.

Cause

Spending long hours under the sun causes skin damage which may lead to basal cell carcinoma. The cancer occurs years after the damage from the sun has taken place. The disease more often occurs on the face as it is exposed to the sun, than any other body part.

The skin pigment protects the skin so fair-skinned people are more likely to be affected by it. Repeated, prolonged sun exposure causes skin damage which may develop into basal cell carcinoma. It has been found that people of African origin, with a dark skin virtually never get basal cell carcinoma.

If a person gets one basal cell carcinoma then he is likely to get another close to the area where the earlier occurred as the skin around the spot gets damaged.

Symptoms

The various symptoms of basal cell carcinoma can be categorized under five heads:

A continuous non healing sore that oozes, bleeds or crusts is a very common signal of basal cell carcinoma.

Another sign is a red patch on the shoulders, arms, chest or legs. The patch may itch and may even crust.

A pink growth with an elevated rolled border along with a crusted indentation in the middle. Tiny blood vessels may develop as the growth enlarges.

A yellow, white scar like region which has a poorly defined area may appear. The skin appears shinny and is an alarm of the presence of a tumor.

Another symptom is the occurrence of a red, white or a pink shiny bump. It can also be black, brown or tan. In case of dark haired people it can be confused with a mole.

Treatment

Various treatments are available for Basal cell carcinoma. A few of them are:

Cryosurgery which involves the application of liquid nitrogen on the affected area thereby leading to the destruction of the affected cells.

X-ray beams which make use of radiation help in the total destruction of the affected cells. The treatment may have to be repeated for a few weeks.

Laser surgery involves the removal of the outer skin using erbium YAG or carbon dioxide laser.

Other treatments include Curettage and Electrodesiccation, Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Photodynamic