The risk of basal cell carcinoma is higher among people who freckle or burn easily or who have very light skin, red or blond hair, or light-colored eyes. Increasing age. Because basal cell carcinoma often takes decades to develop, the majority of basal cell carcinomas occur in older adults.
BCC is put in the high-risk group when: It is on the eyelids, nose, ears or skin around the eyes. It is larger than 2 cm. It is an aggressive subtype, such as infiltrative, morpheaform or micronodular.
Patients 50-80 years of age are affected most often. The median age at diagnosis is 67 years and the mean age is 64 years. Nevertheless, BCC can develop in teenagers and now appears frequently in fair-skinned patients aged 30-50 years. Approximately 5% to 15% of cases of BCC occur in patients aged 20- 40 years.
Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun plays a major role in the development of skin cancer. People who live at high altitudes or in areas with bright sunlight year-round have a higher risk of developing skin cancer. People who spend a lot of time outside during the midday hours also have a higher risk.
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC)
BCC frequently develops in people who have fair skin. People who have skin of color also get this skin cancer. BCCs often look like a flesh-colored round growth, pearl-like bump, or a pinkish patch of skin. BCCs usually develop after years of frequent sun exposure or indoor tanning.
While basal cell cancer can occur in people as young as 20, it is far more common in adults over the age of 50. To break it down even more, the majority of people affected are between the ages of 50 and 80, with an average age at diagnosis of 67.
Inheritance and Risk
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are two of the most common malignancies in the United States and are often caused by sun exposure, although several hereditary syndromes and genes are also associated with an increased risk of developing these cancers.
Survival for most non-melanoma skin cancers is excellent. The 5-year relative survival for BCC is 100%. This means that, on average, all of the people diagnosed with BCC are just as likely to live at least 5 years after their diagnosis as people in the general population.
The best prevention methods for skin cancer is to avoid sun exposure during peak hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and wear sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or more every day, even in winter. More prevention methods include: Checking your skin once a month. Seeing a dermatologist annually.
The risk of basal cell carcinoma is higher among people who freckle or burn easily or who have very light skin, red or blond hair, or light-colored eyes. Increasing age. Because basal cell carcinoma often takes decades to develop, the majority of basal cell carcinomas occur in older adults.
How dangerous is BCC? BCCs rarely spread beyond the original tumor site. But these lesions can grow and become disfiguring and dangerous. Untreated BCCs can become locally invasive, grow wide and deep into the skin and destroy skin, tissue and bone.
The cancer is the result of cumulative damage of years spent in the sun, and may take 20 years to manifest. Although it's often more common in older people, it can occur in younger adults, too. Basal cell carcinoma spreads very slowly and very rarely will metastasize, Dr.
There can be a wait up to a few months. BCC is the most common type of non melanoma skin cancer. It generally takes years to develop in most people. So waiting a short time is unlikely to do any harm.
Aggressive-growth basal cell carcinoma (AG-BCC) defines a group of basal cell cancers that are histologically and clinically aggressive. This group includes morpheaform, infiltrating, and recurrent BCCs.
“Basal cell carcinoma is not something to be taken lightly,” says Deborah S. Sarnoff, MD, president of The Skin Cancer Foundation. “Once you've been diagnosed with a BCC, it's very likely that you will develop more over the years, leading to continuous treatment and possibly even disfiguration.”
Basal cell cancer is the most common form of skin cancer, accounting for nearly 80% of all skin cancers. Basal cell cancers arise from abnormal basal cells in the skin. It is rarely fatal, but it can be locally aggressive.
It's very rare for basal cell skin cancer to spread to another part of the body to form a secondary cancer. It's possible to have more than one basal cell cancer at any one time and having had one does increase your risk of getting another.
The goal of treatment for basal cell carcinoma is to remove the cancer completely.
Stage 1 basal cell carcinoma – These cancers are smaller than 2 centimeters and have not spread to any nearby lymph nodes or organs, but may have one factor that increases the risk of spreading or recurrence (e.g., it is on the ear or a hair-bearing lip, or it has grown into the small nerves in the skin).
People who develop abnormally frequent cases of a skin cancer known as basal cell carcinoma appear to be at significantly increased risk for developing of other cancers, including blood, breast, colon and prostate cancers, according to a preliminary study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
The most common sites for nodular basal cells are the face, especially the nose, cheeks, forehead, nasolabial folds, and eyelids. Patients often give a history of crusting and recurrent bleeding, causing them to seek evaluation. Pigmented nodular BCCs are more common in dark-skinned individuals.
Precancerous skin can be considered a cancer warning sign, as it may naturally progress into squamous or basal cell carcinoma, which are two types of skin cancer that differ in prevalence and prognosis. The main types of precancerous lesions include actinic keratosis, actinic cheilitis, Bowen disease, and leukoplakia.
As it develops, basal cell carcinoma can cause several significant symptoms. However, basal cell carcinomas typically don't hurt, and patients rarely feel anything out of the ordinary. Instead, the warning signs are primarily visual.
Basal cell carcinoma does not progress into melanoma. Each is a separate and distinct type of skin cancer. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer and one of two major nonmelanoma skin cancer types (the other is squamous cell carcinoma).