Basal Cell Carcinoma Research Paper

742 Words2 Pages

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common type of skin cancer and the most common malignancy overall with over 2 million cases diagnosed each year. It is a malignant type of skin tumor in which the cancer cells resemble basal epidermal cells. The most common locations for developing basal cell carcinomas are the head and neck areas, but they can occur on any part of the body. It is very rare that BCC metastasizes, but they are locally invasive and can cause damage to the skin, surrounding tissue, and underlying bone if they are not treated. Injury to the nerves and underlying muscles can also result. The epidemiology, etiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and various treatment modalities of basal cell carcinoma will be discussed, …show more content…

Fair-skinned patients account for 99% of BCCs. Caucasians living in the US have about a 30% risk of developing BCC in their lifetime. The risk of developing BCC increases with age, however, the number of cases in Americans younger than forty has been increasing, especially in females. This is especially interesting because overall the incidence of BCC is 30% greater in males than females. The exact etiology of BBC is unknown. There is known involvement with the pilosebaceous gland. It is thought that BCC originates from the epidermal or progenitor cells of the follicle. The patched/hedgehog intracellular signaling pathway plays a significant role. This pathway is involved in the regulation of cellular growth. In BCC, the inhibition of this pathway is lost. A mutation in the PTCH1 gene is responsible for the malfunction of this pathway. This results in hyperplasia of the epidermis with uncontrolled propagation of the basal cells. Also, exposure to UV radiation causes mutations in the tumor suppressor gene TP53. These mutations lead to the dysregulation of keratinocyte repair mechanisms and causes cells with damaged DNA to resist apoptosis and continue …show more content…

(Muhammad)
The most common symptom of a BCC is skin lesion that does not seem to be healing properly, or may heal and recur, and that is easily friable, meaning that it bleeds easily. Patients often have a history of chronic sun exposure, which could be recreational or occupational. The majority, about 85%, of BCCs occurs on the head and neck area. The remaining 15% occur on the trunk, mostly in sun exposed areas. The clinical presentations of basal cell carcinomas are separated into groups by their histological differences. The subtypes include nodular, infiltrative, micronodular, superficial, and

More about Basal Cell Carcinoma Research Paper

Open Document