Patient Information
Basal Cell CarcinomaNon-melanoma skin cancer
The most common form of skin cancer: development, surgical treatment and follow-up care.
In short: Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer. It correlates less with lifetime sun exposure and more with intense sun exposure in childhood plus genetic factors, usually changes in the Hedgehog signalling pathway (PTCH1 gene). It grows slowly and locally, rarely metastasises, and typically appears as a pearly, shiny nodule with fine blood vessels.
Overview
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer. Unlike squamous cell carcinoma, it correlates less directly with cumulative sun exposure over a lifetime and more strongly with intense sun exposure, particularly in childhood, as well as with genetic factors: the underlying cause is usually alterations in the so-called Hedgehog signalling pathway, often in the PTCH1 gene.
Basal cell carcinoma typically grows slowly and locally destructively, and only very rarely metastasises, but if left untreated it can grow deeply into surrounding tissue. It typically appears as a pearly, shiny nodule with fine blood vessels visible on its surface, often with a raised border or a central depression.
Treatment Options
After treatment of a basal cell carcinoma, consistent follow-up care is essential: an annual full-body skin cancer screening, optionally complemented by a full-face resurfacing and rejuvenation programme, along with the proactive prevention programmes of the Dermetrics concept, to help prevent new lesions at an early stage.
Sources
- StatPearls, Basal Cell Carcinoma, NCBI Bookshelf.
- Work Group, Guidelines of care for the management of basal cell carcinoma, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
- Verma D. et al., Signaling Pathways as Carcinogenesis Triggers in Basal Cell Carcinoma.
- Rubin A.I., Advanced basal cell carcinoma, the hedgehog pathway, and treatment options.