When diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, the first thought is to have it removed and cured. The good news is that most basal cells are curable, especially when they are caught early and excised.
At Real Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery, Dr. Salerno specializes in skin cancer and excision of basal cell carcinoma. He also offers a skin cancer and melanoma surveillance service available to all patients. To schedule your appointment at one of our two locations – Moonee Ponds and Werribee – contact Real Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery today.
The primary cause of basal cell carcinomas is overexposure to the sun. Those years of laying out and basking in the summer sun may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but unfortunately it can have very poor after effects. People with fair complexions are more susceptible to basal cell carcinoma than people with darker complexions.
The areas that are most susceptible to basal cell carcinoma are the exposed areas of the body including the head, the face and the neck. This is equally true for both men and women. Oddly, women are more prone to develop basal cell carcinoma on their legs. On the other hand, men are more prone of developing it on their trunks. Men who are bald can also develop it on their scalps if exposed to the sun.
If the basal cell is found early enough, it can be excised fairly easily in our offices. Under a local anesthesia, the area of concern is excised using a small surgical knife. Usually, a small area of normal skin around the excision site is also removed to create a clean border. Afterwards, the area is closed in a simple fashion with stitches.
If the basal cell is found to have invaded into deeper layers of the skin, a Moh’s procedure may have to be performed, which involves a much deeper type of excision and closing. This produces more scarring than a simple excision of a basal cell in the outer most layers of the skin.
Since an excision of a basal cell carcinoma will impact your physical appearance, it is important to choose the least invasive procedure. If you do have a residual scar, you are able to improve or even eradicate its appearance by the use of lasering. There are many types of lasers available to improve the appearance of excisional scarring due to the excision of basal cell carcinomas.
Prevention is always the best route to take. It’s important to always use sunscreen when you are going to be outside for an extended period of time. It is also good to use a sunhat to keep the sun off of your face.
