Basal cell carcinoma

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Basal cell cancer	Basal Cell Carcinoma - close-up	Basal Cell Carcinoma - close-up	Basal Cell Carcinoma - face
Basal cell carcinoma - nose	Basal cell nevus syndrome - close-up of palm	Basal cell nevus syndrome - face and hand	Basal cell nevus syndrome - plantar pits
Multiple Basal cell cancer due to x-ray therapy for acne	Skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma - behind ear	Skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma - nose	Skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma - pigmented
Skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma - spreading

Rodent ulcer; Skin cancer - basal cell; Cancer - skin - basal cell

Basal cell carcinoma may look only slightly different than normal skin. The cancer may appear as skin bump or growth that is:

• Pearly or waxy
• White or light pink
• Flesh-colored or brown

In some cases the skin may be just slightly raised or even flat.

You may have:

• A skin sore that bleeds easily
• A sore that does not heal
• Oozing or crusting spots in a sore
• Appearance of a scar-like sore without having injured the area
• Irregular blood vessels in or around the spot
• A sore with a depressed (sunken) area in the middle

Your doctor will check your skin and look at the size, shape, color, and texture of any suspicious areas.

If skin cancer is a possibility, a piece of skin will be removed from the area so that is can be examined under a microscope. This is called a skin biopsy. This must be done to confirm the diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma or other skin cancers. There are many types of skin biopsies. The exact procedure depends on the location of the suspected skin cancer.

Review Date: 07/27/2006
Reviewed By: Shlomit Halachmi, MD, PhD, Private Practice Specializing in Dermatology, Somerville, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.