How to recognize the most common form of skin cancer

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer, but it can easily be overlooked or mistaken for another skin problem.

Doctors often discover the cancer during a routine skin check, said Dr. Melissa Piliang, chair of the department of dermatology at the Cleveland Clinic. “A patient may not even notice the signs of the disease,” she said.

In a Facebook post this week, health and fitness personality Richard Simmons announced that he had been treated for basal cell carcinoma. He said he first noticed a “weird-looking bump” under his eye that he tried to treat with Neosporin. It was only after visiting a dermatologist that Mr. Simmons was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma.

Although it can be difficult for patients to identify basal cell carcinoma, it is estimated to have an impact several million people in the United States every year – is very treatable. Here’s what you need to know about causes, prevention and treatment.

What causes basal cell carcinoma? And how does it differ from other skin cancers?

People usually develop basal cell carcinoma after being exposed to UV radiation from sunlight, tanning beds, or sun lamps. The disease is the result of cumulative, chronic exposure, said Dr. Karen Connolly, a dermatologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Research suggests it is most common in adults over 40 years of age.

The disease starts in basal cells, which are located in the outer layer of the skin. Another type of skin cancer can develop in squamous cells.

Basal cell carcinoma is more common and much less fatal than another form of skin cancer, melanoma, which grows in skin cells called melanocytes. Melanoma is especially dangerous because it can grow quickly and spread to other parts of the body without treatment. Melanomas typically look darker or browner than basal cell carcinomas, said Dr. Connolly, but patients should bring any lesion they are concerned about to the attention of a dermatologist.

What does basal cell carcinoma look like?

Basal cell carcinomas often occur in the parts of the body most exposed to the sun: usually the head, face, neck and arms, said Dr. Paras Vakharia, assistant professor of dermatology at Northwestern Medicine. Usually the lesions are “pink and pearly,” he said. “They almost look a little shiny,” he said. They can sometimes be brown, blue or gray. The lesions can also bleed easily even when people wash their faces, said Dr. Piliang.

“When I present to patients, I tell them to look for pimples that won’t heal,” she added.

People sometimes confuse basal cell carcinoma with acne scars, small skin lesions, moles, warts, or freckles. according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

How do you treat and prevent basal cell carcinoma?

Basal cell carcinoma grows slowly, but it is important to tackle the disease as soon as possible, doctors said.

Doctors use different approaches to treat the condition. One is known as Moh’s surgery, in which doctors remove thin layers of skin one by one to remove cancerous lesions. In other cases, doctors may perform a procedure called electrodesiccation and curettage – or, as Dr. Connolly put it, a ‘burning and scraping’ of skin growth. If the carcinoma is very small, it can be treated with a chemotherapy cream, said Dr. Vakharia.

Basal cell carcinomas are rarely fatal. Dr. Connelly said that sometimes patients “hear the word ‘cancer’ and think, ‘I’m going to die from this.'” But, she explained, most cases “really have no effect on the patient’s overall health.”

Dr. However, Vakharia said a diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma should be a clear sign for patients that “they should be more careful about sun exposure.” He encouraged people to wear wide-brimmed hats that fully protect the face from UV rays and to use sunscreen with at least SPF 30 protection. Reapply sunscreen if you’ll be outside for extended periods of time, he added.

And “using a tanning bed is a big no-no,” said Dr. Connolly. A growing body of evidence has linked indoor tanning to an increased risk of melanoma, she said.

If you have had a significant amount of sun exposure throughout your life, have been burned so intensely that blisters form, or if you have a family history of skin cancer, you may want to see a dermatologist for a basic skin exam, added Dr. Vakharia added. .

And in general, people should take the time to scan their skin about every month, said Dr. Connolly, to “make sure nothing new is growing and changing rapidly.”