One of the most common types of skin cancer worldwide . It got its name due to the fact that it develops in the basal layer of the epidermis. Oncologists diagnose this type of skin cancer in a third of cases. As a rule, this tumor is found in men who are older than 40 years. However, it can be diagnosed in both sexes and at any age, so it is important to know its symptoms and be able to recognize them in time.
There are several types, or forms, of basal cell carcinoma:
- ulcerative;
- solid;
- nodal;
- cicatricial;
- superficial.
All of these types of basal cell carcinomas have common features, but they also have significant differences.
The most dangerous form of basal cell carcinoma is ulcerative. This is due to the fact that ulcers lead to deformation of the tissues on which they are formed, and as a result, a large ulcerous surface forms on the skin, penetrating deeper than the upper layer of the skin. Ulcerative basal cell carcinoma is very dangerous and difficult to treat. The ulcers are periodically covered with a hard crust, if you remove it, you can find the black, red or gray bottom of the ulcer. In this case, the edges of the ulcer are usually uneven and bumpy, and its size can increase rapidly.
The most common form that basal cell carcinoma may have, skin cancer in which has a good chance of remission, is nodular or nodular basal cell carcinoma.
Externally, nodular basal cell resembles a large mole or tubercle on the surface of the skin, which is painted in a pearlescent or reddish color. It is important that such a tumor may not manifest itself for a long time, its growth is slow, while the patient does not experience any pain. When the tumor reaches a sufficiently large size, painful sores with a brown crust appear on its surface. Then around it occurs the formation of a ring-shaped raised shaft, which is the main sign of this form of basal cell carcinoma. Most often, oncologists find a nodal basal cell on the neck or face of the patient.
Solid skin basal cell carcinoma is a kind of nodular, it is also called coarse-skin. Its main difference from nodular and ulcerative forms is that it grows only on the surface of the skin, not going deep into it. Due to this, the chances of remission are great if treatment is carried out in the early stages. Solid basal cell carcinoma, like nodular, is one of the most frequently diagnosed.
Cicatricial basal cell carcinoma has a dense texture and is similar to a scar of gray or pinkish hue. Despite the fact that the edges of such a basal cell are also located above the tumor itself, they are less pronounced than with other forms of basal cell carcinoma. Such a tumor is characterized by the depth with which it penetrates into the layers of the skin, as well as its significant growth along the skin. It is for this reason that there are frequent cases of cancer recurrence in this form of basal cell carcinoma.
The surface form is characterized by the appearance of small plaques on the skin, which can also be covered with small sores. Plaques are usually small in size and similar in color to moles of a reddish-brown color. Such tumors appear not only on the face, they are often diagnosed in other parts of the patient’s body. Very often, plaques appear in the chest and lower leg. Such tumors can also develop over a long period of time, without bothering the patient. Most often, superficial basal cell carcinoma is observed in women.
Adenoidal basalioma visually resembles lace and consists of glandular tissue. This type of tumor is also quite common, often with timely treatment, remission is achieved.
Knowing how dangerous skin basal cell carcinoma is, what it is and how it manifests itself, you can diagnose it in the early stages and successfully cure it.
Basal Fever Risk Factors
Despite the fact that basal cell carcinoma can occur in people of any age and gender, there are factors that can signal that the likelihood of developing skin cancer is high. If a person is in this risk group, he needs to carefully monitor his health and skin condition. There are precancerous diseases in which basal cell carcinoma often develops, the causes may be as follows:
- Bowen's disease;
- Pidget's disease;
- Keir erythroplasia;
- Xeroderma pigmentosa;
- keratoacanthoma;
- granuloma;
- cold abscess on the skin;
- radiation ulcer;
- trophic ulcer;
- solar keratosis;
- seborrheic acanthoma.
Symptoms of basal cell carcinoma are common in people who sunbathe too much in the sun and are at risk. In addition, those who work with tar or oil products, come into contact with substances such as arsenic, and also have a large number of moles or freckles, need to be careful about skin neoplasms. Thus, many may be at risk.
The presence of one or more of the precancerous diseases listed above suggests that you should be vigilant because these are frequent signs of basal cell carcinoma or that it will appear in the near future.
Symptoms and signs of basal cell carcinoma
In order for the treatment to be carried out as soon as possible and lead to a remission of the disease, early diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma is very important. To do this, you need to know the main signs of basal cell carcinoma. The patient can detect them independently if he periodically examines his body for tumors or changes in existing moles.
There are five main signs that basal cell carcinoma is developing:
- asymmetry of moles;
- uneven or fuzzy mole edges;
- discoloration of moles (uneven coloring, grayish or black);
- mole diameter exceeding 6 mm;
- the beginning of the rapid growth of a mole or a change in its size.
When one or more symptoms appear, immediate consultation with an oncologist is required. It is not necessary that the symptoms indicate the development of cancer, but you need to make sure that there is no basal cell carcinoma or start treatment as soon as possible. The effectiveness of the treatment depends on the stage at which basal cell carcinoma has been started.
Stages of the disease
Like any cancer, basal cell carcinoma has its own stages:
- The zero stage is characterized by the formation of cancer cells in the skin, but the absence of a formed tumor. Only an oncologist can say what basal cell carcinoma looks like in the initial stage, because sometimes the symptoms are extremely minor, and sometimes they are completely absent.
- The first stage is when the basalioma begins to form, stage 1 is most favorable for treatment. In this case, the size of the tumor does not exceed 2 cm.
- The second stage means the formation of flat basiliomas. Stage 2 basilioma of the skin is characterized by tumor growth, which can now be up to 5 cm in diameter.
- The third stage is diagnosed in the presence of deep basal cell carcinoma. Skin basal cell 3 stage has a pronounced surface, the tumor grows in the dermis of the skin, muscles, fatty tissue, tendons and even in the bone. The patient may feel soreness in the area of the tumor.
- The fourth stage is the stage of papillary basal cell carcinoma. Stage 4 basal cell skin is accompanied by the destruction of bones that are located under the skin in the area of tumor formation.
How to identify basal cell carcinoma at an early stage? To do this, you must carefully monitor the moles on the body and consult a doctor if they change.
Diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma
The initial diagnosis can be done by the patient himself. To do this, he must examine his moles and, if they begin to increase in size, change their structure or color, consult a doctor. This is especially true for those at risk.
If basal cell carcinoma is suspected, the oncologist should be diagnosed after testing. Such analyzes include:
- radiography;
- CT scan;
- ultrasonography;
- Magnetic resonance imaging;
- biopsy;
- cytological and histological studies;
- tests for tumor markers.
It is these studies that can finally confirm or refute the presence of basal cell carcinoma, as well as provide information about its stage, depth of penetration under the skin, its prevalence, as well as the degree of influence on other organs.
If skin basal cell carcinoma has already been diagnosed in the past, these studies must be carried out regularly to notice the recurrence or occurrence of new tumors in time.
First of all, a cytological and histological study is carried out, which distinguishes incipient skin cancer from diseases similar in symptoms, for example, from seborrheic keratosis. These skin cancer tests reveal the presence of diseased cells. To conduct these studies, it is necessary to take a scraping from that part of the basal cell, where there are dead tissue. To conduct these studies, take a scraping from the surface of the basal cell carcinoma. These studies reveal cells that have a round, oval or spindle-shaped shape and are located in nest-shaped clusters. Each cell has a thin rim of cytoplasm around itself. If such cells are found, then basal cell carcinoma is diagnosed.
A biopsy is considered to be a more informative method for diagnosing skin cancer than histological or cytological studies. The essence of the method is to obtain tissues, after which they are morphologically examined. Tissue collection should be carried out only in the operating room, in conditions of complete sanitation. It is important that the doctor can correctly determine the boundaries of the neoplasm - for this you need the right lighting in the room where the biopsy is performed. With basal cell carcinoma, three types of biopsies are used:
- excisional biopsy;
- incision biopsy;
- puncture biopsy.
If an excisional biopsy is used, the doctor will excise the entire tumor. With an incision biopsy, only part of the tumor is excised. With a biopsy, the doctor uses a tubular knife, which allows tissue sampling from the thickness of the skin.
Blood tests often do not provide reliable information about the presence of basal cell carcinoma, because there is no corresponding cancer marker. Therefore, oncologists with suspected basal cell carcinoma conduct the above studies: a biopsy of the affected tissues, as well as cytological and histological studies.
The removal of basal cell carcinoma should be carried out as soon as possible after its diagnosis.
Treatment methods. Removal of basal cell carcinoma
The most common treatment methods for basal cell carcinoma are radiation therapy, drug treatment, and surgical removal. It is important that the treatment method is chosen by the oncologist, based on individual indications. It is important to remember that the effectiveness of the treatment is determined not only by what treatment method is chosen, but also by what stage of cancer this treatment begins to be carried out. Before starting treatment, the oncologist must tell the patient what basal cell carcinoma is and how to treat it. Most oncologists around the world agree that when a basalioma is diagnosed, how to treat it should be decided depending on its stage, but removal of the tumor is indicated at all stages.
Drug treatment
The best results are observed with surgical removal of the neoplasm and further radiotherapy. However, in some cases, it is worth carrying out drug treatment. This is especially true in the initial stages of the development of basal cell carcinoma, when the possible harm to the body from exposure is greater than the intended benefit. In this case, treatment begins with the use of specific medicines, which include ointments, gels and creams that affect the tumor and cause it to stop developing. This is indicated for patients with basal cell carcinomas whose diameter does not exceed 7 mm. When a small basal cell carcinoma is diagnosed, ointment treatment can be very effective.
In addition, drug treatment is often prescribed after surgical removal of basal cell carcinoma. In this case, cytostatic drugs are used, the purpose of which is to prevent relapse of basal cell carcinoma.
Surgery
When the basalioma exceeds 7 mm, it is best to use the surgical method of treatment. When a patient has large basal cell carcinoma, laser treatment leads to prolonged remission, and in most cases the basal cell carcinoma disappears forever, laser treatment is not required again. When conducting surgical treatment, it is important to remember that often the edges of the tumor are uneven or fuzzy. In order to completely get rid of a tumor, it is necessary to establish the extent of its spread and identify the boundaries of the distribution of diseased cells.
Surgical removal of basal cell carcinoma can be performed using:
- tumor excision;
- curettage and fulguration;
- MOS operations.
Excision of basal cell carcinoma is performed during a biopsy. This method is used when the tumor is small - then during the collection of tissues for examination, the tumor can be completely removed. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia, and the basal cell carcinoma is removed along with its fields to prevent further spread of cancer cells. After excision, a small scar forms, which will disappear after a short period of time.
Curettage and fulguration are used on all parts of the body except the ears, temples, lips, eyelids and nose. This is due to the fact that with the appearance of basal cell carcinoma in these places there is a chance of relapse, and during the operation it is impossible to make sure that all cancer cells are completely removed. The essence of the operation is curettage, and then using an electric current that helps stop the bleeding. It is best to use this method for clear-cut basal cell carcinoma.
MOS operation is a new word in the surgical treatment of basal cell carcinoma. During the operation, layer by layer of tissue is removed until a special microscope shows that all tissue with malignant cells has been removed. This method contributes to the maximum preservation of healthy tissues with the maximum removal of patients. You can use the method on the entire surface of the body.
If the size of a basal cell is small, oncologists often recommend cryotherapy. This is considered a gentle treatment that is most easily tolerated by the patient and does not take much time. After cryotherapy, the patient’s skin heals quickly, and the chances of a relapse are extremely low when all the skin affected by the tumor is removed. The essence of cryotherapy is the removal of cancer cells and tumors by freezing them.
Radiation treatment
In the advanced stages of cancer, radiation is necessary. This is due to the fact that the tumor penetrates deep under the skin and often affects other organs and even bones. Therefore, complex treatment is needed to fight cancer cells. In some cases, photodynamic therapy for basal cell carcinoma is indicated.
Irradiation with basal cell carcinoma, as a rule, is fairly easily tolerated by patients. Nevertheless, in 20% of cases complications arise that can manifest themselves in the form of headaches, conjunctivitis, cataracts and trophic ulcers. If such complications arise, then symptomatic treatment is necessary.
If the patient is over 65 years old, then treatment of basal cell carcinoma is carried out only with the help of radiation.
As a rule, one course of exposure is enough to defeat the basal cell in the initial stages. But if necessary, an oncologist can prescribe additional courses. There are two types of exposure for this disease:
- short-focus radiation therapy;
- irradiation with beta rays.
In the first case, the course of treatment involves 1 month of exposure 3 times a week. For beta irradiation, several irradiation sessions may also be required.
Treatment of basal cell carcinoma after irradiation should be prescribed by the attending oncologist. It is important that after treatment, the patient is still observed by the doctor for some time, regardless of the stage at which the disease was diagnosed. This will help prevent relapses, that is, the re-formation of basal cell carcinoma.
Chemotherapy treatment
In some cases, oncologists prescribe chemotherapy to patients with basal cell carcinoma. In this case, we are talking about platinum-containing chemotherapy regimens. Among the most commonly used drugs are Cisplatin, Doxorubicin and Methotrexate. Treatment lasts up to 2 weeks, several courses may be required, the intervals between which should be 3 weeks.
Alternative therapy for the treatment of skin basal cell carcinoma
Basalioma is a disease that has been known for many years. That is why not only official medicine, but also folk medicine has its own methods of treatment for basal cell carcinoma. Even oncologists often advise, in addition to drug treatment, radiation therapy or surgery, to use proven traditional medicine.
How to treat basalioma with folk remedies so as to get rid of it? First of all, it is necessary to use masks, ointments and tinctures based on celandine, round-leafed wintergreen and hemlock. Celandine is a wonderful natural antiseptic that helps cleanse wounds, which is especially true for ulcerative form of basal cell carcinoma. Freshly obtained celandine juice can be safely applied to the wounds. You can also prepare tincture.This will require, in addition to the celandine itself, a glass of boiling water, where a teaspoon of celandine is placed. The resulting tincture is left for a day, and then drunk for one day.
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For the diagnosis and treatment of the disease, it is important to consult a doctor on time!
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