Category Archives: BCC (basal cell carcinoma)

Moles are a risk factor for basal cell carcinoma (BCC)…

Patients with multiple naevi (moles) have probably had considerable sun or tanning bed exposure and should be examined for BCC.  Naevi are a risk factor for melanoma, and the number in an individual grows with increasing ultraviolet radiation. Investigators asked … Continue reading

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Getting enough Vitamin D ?

Ever wondered if you are getting enough Vitamin D from the sun; here’s a brief guide: September to April; a few minutes to face, arms, hands outside peak UV times most days of the week. May to August; 2 to … Continue reading

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Curettage (scrapping) and cryosurgery (liquid nitrogen cold spray) for superficial skin cancers…

For some thin cancers of the trunk and extremities, curettage followed by cryosurgery is effective. Superficial basal and squamous cell carcinomas (BCCs and SCCs) usually occur on the trunk and extremities. As the name implies, these tumors grow sideways instead … Continue reading

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Basal cell carcinoma at a young age: another consequence of tanning beds…

Tanning bed users younger than 40 developed early-onset BCCs significantly more often than nonusers.  Over the past 4 decades, the incidence of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) has increased markedly, particularly in women under the age of 40. This increase coincides … Continue reading

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Sunbed ban may prevent the commonest skin cancer (BCC) risk in patients under 40…

The UK’s Daily Mail (Jan 1, 2012 by Ellis) reported, “A quarter of cases of the most common form of skin cancer in the under-40s could be prevented if sunbeds were banned, research suggests.” Researchers found that “indoor tanning significantly … Continue reading

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Drinking coffee MAY reduce your risk of a common type of skin cancer (BCC)…

The Los Angeles Times (October 25, Brown) “Booster Shots” blog reports that according to research presented yesterday at the American Association for Cancer Research International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, “drinking coffee was associated with decreased risk of a common … Continue reading

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Non-melanoma skin cancer recurrence, low after curettage…

Nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC)  (which includes common skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma, BCC and squamous cell carcinoma, SCC) patients have a less than 5% long-term recurrence rate after treatment using three different techniques, suggest study findings. There are … Continue reading

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Vitamin D, Calcium may prevent melanoma in women with prior history…

Medscape (July 5, Mulcahy) reported that although Vitamin D and calcium do not reduce the overall rate of melanoma or nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) in post-menopausal women, a study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that, in women with … Continue reading

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Skin cancer on the lip…

Two weeks ago, I showed this patient’s skin cancer on the lip as an example of a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) on his lip. The cancer was removed and the pathology showed that it was a basal (not squamous) cell … Continue reading

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It pays not to ignore lumps…

Everyone (hopefully) knows that it is important to check for breast lumps (yes, males too). It is also wise not to ignore any lumpiness in or under the skin (anywhere). This patient’s skin cancer (a basal cell carcinoma, BCC) runs … Continue reading

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