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How can Basal Cell Carcinomas be treated?
The treatment of basal cell carcinomas depends on many factors including the type of BCC, its location and size, general health of the patient as well as the observation regarding its boarders (when the borders of the cancer are not easily determined more sophisticated methods need to be used).
The following list represents some of the available treatments for basal cell carcinomas:
- Mohs Micrographic Surgery (the most successful method)
- Surgical excision - surgical removal and stitching
- Curettage and electrodesiccation (scraping and burning with an electric needle)
- Aldara Cream application
- Photo Dynamic therapy
- Radiation therapy ("deep X-ray")
The method chosen depends upon several factors, such as the microscopic type of tumor, the location and size of the cancer, and previous therapy. For example, small or superficial basal cell carcinomas on the legs, arms, back, chest or abdomen can be treated with topical Aldara cream and/or Curettage and electrodesiccation (scraping and burning with an electric needle), surgical excision or radiation therapy. Sometimes these methods can be combined increasing the chances of the cure rate.
The success rate for Mohs surgery , even in treating recurrent lesions, is about 95 - 99%. Mohs surgery is very time consuming and requires a highly trained team of medical personnel.
Since Mohs Micrographic surgery is the most successful and most tissue spearing (it strives to preserve as much of the normal tissue as possible and yet remove the cancer successfully), it is intended for skin cancers on the head and neck areas, the cancers that have poorly defined edges, recurrent cancers, cancers in patients with decreased immune system (such as patients with kidney, liver or heart transplants) and cancers in areas of the body when preservation of the normal tissues is important (such as hands and feet).
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