Basal cell skin cancer is one of the less scary cancers, because it’s usually easy to treat. It’s rarely fatal, because it usually grows very slow and doesn’t metastasize (spread to other parts of your body). But if it gets too big it can be disfiguring to remove it. And just because it rarely spreads doesn’t mean it never does.
Although you probably hear (and thus know) more about melanoma, basal cell carcinoma is actually much more common. In fact, it is the most common kind of skin cancer (there’s also another kind, called squamous cell).
So “less scary” doesn’t mean it’s something you can safely ignore. You’ll still want to know all you can about this cancer, treatment options and how to prevent it in the future. We present some resources to help you get started.
Of course, your doctor should be your main source of information. But sometimes it’s easier to have a productive conversation after you’ve done a little research on your own.
When you’re ready to find more information than what we have here, we have some tips to help you recognize good sources.
Basal Cell Skin Cancer Overviews
These overviews can give you the basics of what basal cell carcinoma is, what it looks like and how it’s treated.
Basal cell carcinoma: This page from MedlinePlus offers easy-to-understand information and pictures to help you recognize this kind of growth.
Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC): This guide from the Skin Cancer Foundation also offers treatment and prevention guidelines, along with five warnings signs to be aware of.
Basal Cell Carcinoma from Mayo Clinic: This overview includes causes and complications plus treatment options and questions to ask your doctor.
Basal and Squamous Cell Overview: This overview guide from the American Cancer Society combines the two most common kinds of non-melanoma skin cancer. It also describes conditions that can turn into skin cancer and tumors that are not cancer. There is also a detailed skin cancer guide.
Basal cell carcinoma on DermNet NZ: Lots of pictures broken down by type of BCC (they each look somewhat different).
Organizations Devoted to Basal Cell Skin Cancer
Most skin cancer-related organizations do not focus specifically on basal cell carcinomas. Instead they work to increase awareness and prevention of all kinds of skin cancer.
The Skin Cancer Foundation: This international foundation not only provides information on prevention and treatment, it has been funding basic research and clinical studies for more than 30 years. In that time it has awarded research grants totaling more than $1.5 million.
The British Association of Dermatologists: Promotes sun awareness and offers information on avoiding skin cancer and understanding tests, treatments and skin disorders linked to cancer.
World Health Organization: This international organization devotes a section of its website to understanding UV radiation (both from the sun and other sources like tanning beds) and its link to skin cancer (among other diseases).
Basal Cell Skin Cancer Research And Clinical Trials
It may not be the scariest cancer, but it’s still cancer. So researchers want to understand it—and learn how to prevent and treat it.
Just a couple of years ago, researchers discovered that drinking coffee might protect you from this cancer (but not others). This study focused on prevention, but others evaluate treatments.
If you think you might like to be part of a trial, these resources can help you find ones you may qualify for. Your doctor can help you figure out which ones you may qualify for and help you enroll.
Basal Cell Carcinoma trials on ClinicalTrials.gov: We’ve linked to the results page for “basal cell carcinoma.” It lists completed as well as ongoing studies across the country. To narrow this search to your area or add other limits (age group, study phase, etc), you can modify the search.
Memorial Sloan-Kettering BCC Trials: As of this writing, there was only one trial listed here, but trials begin and end all the time. This site is often a good starting point since the list is much shorter than you’ll find on ClinicalTrials.gov. Just keep in mind, it lists only trials the center is involved with.
Forums and Support Groups About Basal Cell Skin Cancer
Much like the organizations, the forums and support groups generally focus on skin cancer in general, rather than the specific kind. Even so, people in these groups tend to understand how you’re feeling, because they’re going through something similar.
Family and friends are important for support, but connecting with other skin cancer patients can help you feel less alone.
Cancer Survivors Network (CSN), Skin Cancer Forum: CSN is from the American Cancer Society. The skin cancer forum appears only lightly active, but most posts seem to get responses within a couple of days.
You can also find support groups open to people with any kind of cancer diagnosis on our Cancer Patient Resources page.
Other Resources for Basal Cell Skin Cancer
These two resources can help you find skin cancers early, when they’re most easily treatable. Treating basal cell carcinomas when they’re small can help minimize any disfigurement and the size of your scar.
Find a Free skin Cancer Screening: Use this search, from the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, to see if there are any doctors near you offering free screenings. On the left is another search box where you can also find a dermatologic surgeon near you.
Do Skin Cancer Self-Exams: Doctors may be pros, but you know your skin. By checking over your body regularly, you can more easily see any changes that you should ask a doctor about. This page links to a detailed explanation of how to do it and a printable body map where you can track freckles, moles and other spots.
Information For Kids About Basal Cell Skin Cancer
Cancer is a scary word for anyone, but especially kids. They need age-appropriate information to help them understand your diagnosis (or their own, although this cancer is very rare in children). We offer a list of resources for kids, aimed at helping you talk to them as well as support groups and web sites specifically for kids deal with a parent’s cancer.
Caregiver Resources
If you’re caring for someone with basal cell skin cancer, you need support and understanding, too. Although we haven’t found any caregiver resources specific to basal cell skin cancer, we do have a page of resources for caregivers of any cancer patient.