More about Basal and Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC)
This type affects the cells that form the foundation of your outer-most layer of skin. This is the most common type of skin cancer. Approximately 4 million cases of it are diagnosed in the United States every year.

BCC is a type of skin cancer that begins in the basal cells. Normal basal cells line the epidermis. They’re the skin cells that replace old cells with new ones. Cancer of the basal cells results in tumors that appear on the skin’s surface. These tumors often look like sores, growths, bumps, scars, or red patches.

While BCC almost never spreads to other places in the body (metastasizes), it can still result in disfigurement. In rare cases, it can spread to other parts of the body. If it does, it can become life-threatening.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma
This type affects the cells above the basal cells in your skin and is the second most common type of skin cancer.

Types of Basal and Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Pigmented BCC: This type appears as a brown, blue, or black lesion, which often has a translucent and raised border.
Superficial BCC: This type takes on the appearance of a reddish patch on the skin, which is often flat and scaly. It continues to grow and often has a raised edge. It typically takes on this appearance when on the back or chest.
Nonulcerative BCC: This type appears as a bump on the skin that is white, skin-colored, or pink. It’s often translucent, with blood vessels underneath that are visible. This is the most common type of BCC. It most commonly appears on the neck, ears, and face. It can rupture, bleed, and scab over.
Morpheaform BCC: This is the least common type of BCC. It typically resembles a scarlike lesion with a white and waxy appearance and no defined border. This type of carcinoma can indicate a particularly invasive form of BCC, which is more likely to be disfiguring.
Basosquamous BCC: This type of carcinoma carries traits of both BCC and squamous cell carcinoma, another type of skin cancer. It is extremely rare, but is more likely to metastasize compared with other types of skin cancer.

Symptoms

Almost all BCCs develop on parts of the body frequently exposed to the sun. Tumors can develop on the face, ears, shoulders, neck, scalp, and arms. In very rare cases, tumors develop on areas not often exposed to sunlight. BCCs are typically painless. The only symptom is the growth or change in the appearance of the skin. There are different types of BCC. Each has a different appearance: