BCC often develops on or near an ear, and this one circled in purple could be mistaken for a minor skin injury. Warning sign: A sore that doesn't heal or heals and returns and may bleed, ooze, or crust over Can be mistaken for: Sore or pimple. Warning sign: A scaly, slightly raised patch of irritated skin, which could be red, pink, or another color Can be mistaken for: Dry, irritated skin, especially if it's red or pink.
Warning sign: A round growth that may be pink, red, brown, black, tan, or the same color as your skin Can be mistaken for: A mole, wart, or other harmless growth. Would you recognize this as a skin cancer, or would you dismiss it as a harmless growth on your face?
Warning sign: A spot on the skin that feels a bit scaly Could be mistaken for: Age spot or freckle. Warning sign: A scar-like mark on your skin that may be white, yellow, or skin-colored and waxy. The affected skin may look shiny and the surrounding skin often feels tight. Could be mistaken for: A scar. While the above pictures show you some common ways that BCC can appear on the skin, this skin cancer can show up in other ways, as the following pictures illustrate.
On the trunk, BCC may look like a scaly patch with a spot of normal-looking skin in the center and a slightly raised border, as shown here. While BCC tends to be one color, it can be lighter in some areas and darker in others, as shown here. If you see a spot or growth on your skin that looks like any of the above or one that is growing or changing in any way, see a board-certified dermatologist.
As the above pictures show, this skin cancer tends to develop on skin that has had lots of sun exposure, such as the face or ears. Other common areas for BCC include, the shoulders, back, arms, and legs. While rare, BCC can also form on parts of the body that get little or no sun exposure, such as the genitals. This skin cancer tends to be one color, but the color can vary from one BCC to the next. This cancer may be:. For many people, the only sign of this skin cancer is a slow-growing bump, sore-like growth, or rough-feeling patch on their skin.
However, some people develop symptoms where they have this skin cancer. Many people find it when they notice a spot, lump, or scaly patch on their skin that is growing or feels different from the rest of their skin.
Dark pigmented BCC is more common in people with dark skin tones than white people. Nodular BCC looks like a dome-shaped bump. It may be pearly or shiny. Typical colors are pink, red, brown, or black. You may see tiny blood vessels in the lesion.
In fact, BCC is often mistaken for a shaving cut that will not heal. Over time, the top layer skin may begin to break down. This is called ulceration. Ulceration causes the center of the lesion to collapse.
When this happens, the tumor looks like a crater. Superficial BCC looks like a scaly pink or red plaque. The lesion may ooze or become crusty. Morphea is a skin disease characterized by patches of hard skin. Morpheaform BCC got its name because it looks like morphea plaques. It can be hard to tell where the borders of these lesions are. Morpheaform BCC is often hard to spot.
A lesion might be the only sign of BCC; you may not have any symptoms. The lesion may bleed easily. You might think it is a cut or sore that will not heal.
This technique is particularly useful for basal cell carcinomas located on the nose, the ears, and the lips. Radiation treatment — X-ray therapy is often useful for patients who are not good surgical candidates because of other health issues. Infiltrating or morpheaform basal cell carcinomas: Infiltrating basal cell carcinomas can be more aggressive and locally destructive than other types of basal cell carcinoma.
They can invade more deeply and widely than may first be evident by the superficial appearance of the skin cancer. For this reason, it is more important to treat them early and with slightly more aggressive techniques. Superficial basal cell carcinomas: Superficial basal cell carcinomas tend to be slow-growing and, as the name implies, very thin. Therefore, they do not necessarily need the more aggressive forms of treatment.
In fact, some research indicates that superficial basal cell carcinomas may be treated without surgery. Cryosurgery with liquid nitrogen — Very cold liquid nitrogen is sprayed on the basal cell carcinoma, freezing it and destroying it in the process. Imiquimod — This cream encourages the body's immune system to attack and eradicate the superficial basal cell carcinoma.
It is usually applied several times per week for 6—12 weeks. Photodynamic therapy — In this relatively new technique, a photosensitizing substance a chemical that is activated when it is exposed to light is applied to the superficial basal cell carcinoma. After an incubation period in which the chemical is preferentially absorbed by the skin cancer cells, the superficial basal cell carcinoma is exposed to a particular wavelength of light in the physician's office.
The special light activates the chemical, causing destruction of the superficial basal cell carcinoma. Laser — For superficial basal cell carcinomas, some physicians are using carbon dioxide and other lasers to destroy the skin cancer.
Bolognia, Jean L. Dermatology , pp. New York: Mosby, Freedberg, Irwin M. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. New York: McGraw-Hill, Use of this site constitutes acceptance of Skinsight's terms of service and privacy policy. The material on this site is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified health care provider.
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