Basal Cell Carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma is a cancer of the cells at the bottom of the skin’s outermost layer, the epidermis. It accounts for more than three-quarters (75%) of all skin cancers. Most basal cell carcinomas are slow-growing and almost never spread. However, if they are left untreated they can damage the skin and cause an ulcer, known as a rodent ulcer. BCC’s are usually difficult to notice in their early stages and are often quite large by the time a patient presents for treatment.

It is also difficult to see where their edges are, and it is common for them to be incompletely removed by many of the techniques used to treat them, including standard plastic surgery.  They will then regrow in the same area of skin some time after treatment: this is known as a local recurrence.  Mohs micrographic surgery was specifically developed to remove BCCs in the most precise manner.