Basal Cell Carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma can take on many forms. The most common warning signs and symptoms include: 

If you notice any of these warning signs on your body, contact us as soon as possible and schedule a skin cancer screening with one of our board-certified dermatologists in Lebanon, Tennessee.

Basal cell carcinomas may appear as a lump that continuously gets bigger over time and may become crusty, bleed or develop into a painless ulcer. It may also be a sore that continuously heals, reopens, and bleeds.

While basal cell carcinoma is rarely fatal, it can become disfiguring and life-threatening. If left undiagnosed and untreated, basal cell carcinoma can become locally aggressive, growing wide and deep into the skin and destroying skin, tissue, and bone. This is why it is important to visit your dermatologist for regular skin cancer screenings.

Basal cell carcinoma rarely spreads from its original site. If it does spread, it grows very slowly, especially compared to the more dangerous melanoma type.

When a lesion, growth, or tumor is malignant, it means that the cells grow uncontrollably and spread locally and/or to distant sites. Most basal cell carcinomas are benign, as they generally do not spread to other parts of the body.

However, if they go unnoticed for too long, there is an increased risk of the tumor spreading and invading the surrounding tissue, in which case this would mean the tumor is malignant.

If you have recently been diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, it is important to seek skin cancer treatment as soon as possible to reduce the risk of spreading and optimize your skin health.

With ever-improving skin cancer treatments, survival for most non-melanoma skin cancers is very high. When detected early, the 5-year relative survival rate for BCC is 100 percent.

The key to surviving all skin cancers is detecting and treating them early, which is why skin cancer screenings are crucial to your health. Contact us to schedule yours today in Lebanon, Tennessee.

A risk factor is something that increases your chances of developing basal cell carcinoma, as well as other forms of cancer. While having several risk factors does not guarantee that you will get BCC, it also does not mean that you will not develop it if you have zero.

Some basal cell carcinoma risk factors include:

You can reduce your risk of developing BCC by wearing a daily sunscreen, avoiding sun exposure at peak hours (10 AM to 2 PM), covering up with UPF clothing, and getting regular skin cancer screenings.

At Cumberland skin, we first diagnose the condition by taking a biopsy of the suspicious growth. This involves removing a small piece of the tissue and sending it for microscopic analysis. If the pathologist confirms the diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma, we will then look into your treatment options.

Generally, our experienced dermatologists treat basal cell carcinoma through surgical excision, which involves the complete surgical removal of the tumor, as well as a small area of healthy skin around it (called the margin).

Depending on the severity of your basal cell carcinoma, we may also recommend the following skin cancer treatments:

The key to a successful treatment is completely removing all of the cancerous cells and their roots. This reduces the chances of recurrence and helps you maintain your health long-term. If you have any questions about treatment for basal cell carcinoma, get in touch with our dermatology practice in Lebanon, TN, by calling (615) 449-5771 or contacting us online.

In most cases, skin cancer treatment is covered by insurance. Though this may vary depending on your individual healthcare plan and coverage. We recommend you contact your insurance provider for clarification on what type of dermatology treatments are covered under your healthcare plan.