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What is basal skin cancer?Basal skin cancer is sometimes misspelled as basil skin cancer or basil cell skin cancer. It is the most common type of cancer in the world. The cause is thought to be exposure to damaging ultraviolet rays in most cases. You are more likely to suffer from this disease the more time you spend in the sun.
The good news is that basal skin cancer does not usually metastasize. Metastasis is travel through the blood stream, and it is what makes many other types of cancer so dangerous. They can spread to other body systems this way, including:
The spread of basal cell skin cancer happens differently. This cancer spreads through the tissue around it, destroying cells and forming tumors. While this is still dangerous and needs to be treated right away, it's not as life threatening as some other conditions. Surgery will usually correct this problem if done soon enough.
It doesn't usually look very dangerous. Tumors can look like a small, white dome-shaped bump. You might see veins on the surface of this bump.
They can also look like a pimple. If you have a pimple that keeps healing and coming back again in the same spot, that might be a sign of basal skin cancer. Some types look like a smooth waxy scar and are yellowish or white. Sores that bleed and heal up, but then come back again, are one of the most common signs that you might have this kind of cancer.
The first thing you should do is talk to your doctor if you think that you have basal cell cancer. She will be able to tell you whether she thinks your symptoms match and can refer you to a skin specialist, a dermatologist.
The dermatologist can evaluate your growth and perform a biopsy - a simple procedure that takes a sample of the affected area. This sample will be sent off to a lab to be analyzed. The results will come back within a week and will tell you if this is basal cell skin cancer.
Sometimes this type of cancer is very thin and only on the surface of the skin. This is most likely to happen if you see your doctor right away. There is a chance that your dermatologist will simply remove the growth and do the biopsy on it after it has been removed. More involved surgery will be required for deeper cases.
Some people wonder why they should treat this kind of cancer if it doesn't travel in the blood stream. However, the cancer will keep growing if it is not treated. It could cause problems with:
Even if basal cell cancer isn't as dangerous, it's still a kind of cancer. It means you are at a higher risk of getting other kinds of cancers. You can reduce your risk of getting it and other skin cancers by avoiding the sun and always wearing sunscreen when you need to be outside.
Treatment of basal skin cancer should be discussed with your dermatologist, but will probably involve surgery. One method involves burning the base of the tumor with an electric needle, while another involves simple surgical removal of the cancer. In some special circumstances, liquid nitrogen, radiation, or lasers may be used. However, radiation treatment and chemotherapy are usually not required in cases of this kind of skin cancer.
One technique that you may be recommended to use is called Mohs surgery. This kind of surgery is done in your dermatologist's office under local anesthetic. Slides are made of tiny sections of the cancer while you wait, to make certain that the entire tumor has been removed. This is usually done for people who have had other treatment but the cancer has come back. It may also be done if the cancer is large or if the place where the cancer is located needs to heal without much scarring.
Scars are a risk with any surgery, and many people are concerned about them with skin cancer removal. After all, most skin cancer is on the face. The good news is that small tumors can easily be removed without any worry. For larger cancers, it's a good idea to use advanced options that will result in small or no scars.
Remember - treating basil cell skin cancer is important. Don't think it will go away on its own. See your doctor right away if you think that you might have it, and get the problem fixed. Your health is worth it.
"This website is for all skin cancer patients, their families and friends. I want people to know that they can overcome this disease by learning what to do, where to go for great medical help, how to deal with insurance and all the other problems facing them.
I have worked with some great people to make this web site easy to understand and devoted to helping you. Please let me know if anything doesn't help you or if we can do something more that would be useful to you.
The most important factor in a person getting healthy is their personal determination and their will to be better. You have to summon that determination and then take the steps described here - we are here to help and support you."
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