Case 1: Basal Cell Carcinoma
By Magnus Balslev Avnstorp, MD, Mike Mikkelsen Lorenzen and Simon Yde, MD
Pathophysiology
Basal cell carcinomas are derived from the basal cells of the skin. It is the most common cancer in the world with more than 4 million new cases each year in the US alone. Basal cell carcinoma exists in different subtypes, namely:
Photo examples
Treatment and surgical margins
Depending on the surrounding skin and type of basal cell carcinoma, several non-surgical treatment options can be chosen, including:
- Cryotherapy
- Radiation
- Curretage
- Aldara
- Photodynamic therapy
Surgical margins
- Nodular BCC: 2-5 mm margin depending on how easy the tumor margin is to identify.
- Superficial BCC: 4-5 mm margin. Use magnification to identify tumor margin.
- Infiltrating and morphea: 5-7,5 mm and the use of freezing histology to be sure the excision is radical.