Basal Cell Carcinoma

This is the most common skin cancer in white people in the U.S. and accounts for 77% of all nonmelanoma skin cancers. About 700,000 new cases are diagnosed and treated each year in the U.S. (Ref.6). It grows in skin that has been pre damaged by exposure to ultraviolet light. It rarely metastasizes like other cancers do, but it invades underlying surfaces including bone. It used to be a skin cancer of the older generation.

However, because of the obsession of suntanning from teenage years on it is not unusual to see patients in their 30's or 40's with the first basal cell tumor. The person that has developed one basal cell cancer, has a higher likelihood of developing more later in life. By the time a person has had 10 basal cell cancers, there is a probability that this person will develop one more such cancer in each following year.

The clinical appearance of the basal cell cancer is a skin colored to pink, shiny, raised papule which is slightly translucent and slowly growing. It may ulcerate in the center as it enlarges and develop a rolled border. There are various variations, which would be very familiar to the dermatologist to whom this patient should be referred to. Here is a link to a picture of a basal cell carcinoma (use the back arrow in your left upper screen to return to this page).

Treatment of basal cell cancer:

Basal cell cancer can be treated by various means such as chemotherapy with topical 5-FU , radiotherapy or cryosurgery, which has a cure rate of 90% to 95%. However, a surgical technique called

Mohs' micrographic surgery has a success rate of 96% to 99% (Ref. 4). This technique consists of a combination of microscopic shavings and analyses of the removed layers as frozen sections by the pathologist. With this method the dermatological surgeon can remove the last cells of the tumor under "microscopic" vision. This way not too much and not too little tissue is removed, which eliminates the danger of cancer recurrence almost completely.

Pain Control:

There is an FDA approved non-drug method available, IceWave patches from Lifewave, which will control pain. This is mentioned in the book "Breakthrough" by Suzanne Somers (Ref. 9) where newer insights of antiaging medicine are also reviewed. Although the patches are placed over acupuncture points, there are no needles involved. Nanotechnology, a newer technology, was used in the manufacturing of these patches and infrared (heat) waves from body heat are utilized to stimulate an acupuncture point, which modifies pain perception and reduces pain to half or less. Medically this would be considered an excellent pain reliever. For more info on the patches see the IceWave patches from Lifewave link above (click "products"). In the US a 5 pack of the IceWave spray is available that can be directly sprayed onto the skin in the area where the pain is located.

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Disclaimer:

This outline is only a teaching aid to patients and should stimulate you to ask the right questions when seeing your doctor. However, the responsibility of treatment stays in the hands of your doctor and you.

References:

1. Kripke ML, Sass ER,eds."Antigenicity of murine skin tumors induced by UV light".JNCI 1974;53:1333-1336.

2. Kripke ML. "Immunology and photocarcinogenenis". J. Am. Acad.Dermatol. 1986;14:149-155.

3. Potter M."Percivall Pott's contribution to cancer research". NCI Monogr.1963;10:1.

4. COMS Group: Collaborative ocular melanoma study manual of procedures. National Technical Information Service. Springfield,VA, 1989.

5. Cancer: Principles &Practice of Oncology. 4th edition. Edited by Vincent T. DeVita, Jr. et al. Lippincott, Philadelphia,PA, 1993. Chapter on Cancer of the skin.

6. Cancer: Principles&Practice of Oncology. 5th edition, volume 2. Edited by Vincent T. DeVita, Jr. et al. Lippincott-Raven Publ., Philadelphia,PA, 1997. Chapter on Cancer of the skin.

9. Suzanne Somers: "Breakthrough" Eight Steps to Wellness-- Life-altering Secrets from Today's Cutting-edge Doctors", Crown Publishers, 2008

Also look for more info at these sites:

http://www.skincancer.org/

http://www.skincarephysicians.com/skincancernet/whatis.html

Last Modified: July 1, 2009