Asked by: Bei Ghouzali
medical health skin and dermatology

Can basal cell carcinoma come back?

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Recurrent basal cell carcinoma refers to cancer that has come back after treatment and a period of time during which there is no trace of the cancer. Although anyone can experience a basal cell carcinoma recurrence, several studies have shown recurrence is more likely in: People who had a history of eczema.


Accordingly, can basal cell carcinoma come back in the same spot?

After being removed, basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the skin does recur at some other spot on the body in about 40% of people. BCC is the most common type of skin cancer, followed by squamous cell carcinoma, and then melanoma.

One may also ask, what happens when skin cancer comes back? For most people with basal or squamous cell skin cancers, treatment will remove or destroy the cancer. (When cancer comes back after treatment, it is called recurrent cancer or a recurrence.) This is very common if you've had cancer.

Keeping this in view, what are the chances of basal cell carcinoma returning?

The 5-year recurrence rate is about 5%, but it depends on the histologic subtype and type of treatment; the recurrence rate is less than 1% for primary (previously untreated) BCCs treated with Mohs micrographic surgery.

Can cancer come back after Mohs?

Mohs surgery has the highest cure rate of all treatments for basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas -- more than 99% for new skin cancers and 95% if the cancer comes back. Twice a year is normal, but you may need them more often if the cancer is an aggressive type that's more likely to come back.

Related Question Answers

Giuseppa Keuffel

Professional

Why does my basal cell keep coming back?

Recurrent basal cell carcinoma refers to cancer that has come back after treatment and a period of time during which there is no trace of the cancer. Although basal cell carcinoma has an excellent cure rate, it is not uncommon for patients to develop multiple lesions during their lifetimes.

Romualdas Awetyan

Professional

Why do I keep getting basal cell carcinomas?

Most basal cell carcinomas are thought to be caused by long-term exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight. Avoiding the sun and using sunscreen may help protect against basal cell carcinoma.

Rene Leiziaga

Professional

Should you worry about basal cell carcinoma?

Basal cell carcinoma is a cancer that grows on parts of your skin that get a lot of sun. It's natural to feel worried when your doctor tells you that you have it, but keep in mind that it's the least risky type of skin cancer. As long as you catch it early, you can be cured.

Traci Urjavaha

Explainer

Can I leave basal cell carcinoma alone?

Although a basal cell carcinoma rarely spreads, it is possible if it is left untreated. In actuality, destruction of surrounding skin and tissues is much more common with basal cell carcinoma.

Gwyneth Loya

Explainer

Will basal cell carcinoma turn into melanoma?

The vast majority of skin cancers are basal cell carcinomas and squamous cells carcinomas. While malignant, these are unlikely to spread to other parts of the body. They may be locally disfiguring if not treated early. A small but significant number of skin cancers are malignant melanomas.

Inoa Ruis

Explainer

Does basal cell carcinoma increase risk for other cancers?

People who develop abnormally frequent cases of a skin cancer known as basal cell carcinoma appear to be at significantly increased risk for developing of other cancers, including blood, breast, colon and prostate cancers, according to a preliminary study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

Bhajan Kanwar

Pundit

How do they remove basal cell carcinoma?

Basal cell carcinoma is most often treated with surgery to remove all of the cancer and some of the healthy tissue around it. Options might include: Surgical excision. In this procedure, your doctor cuts out the cancerous lesion and a surrounding margin of healthy skin.

Gael Fehners

Pundit

What is Morpheaform basal cell carcinoma?

Morpheaform basal cell carcinoma is an uncommon variant in which tumor cells induce a proliferation of fibroblasts within the dermis and an increased collagen deposition (sclerosis) that clinically resembles a scar. The tumor appears as a white or yellow, waxy, sclerotic plaque that rarely ulcerates.

Zhijie Dyk

Pundit

Can you have basal cell carcinoma for years?

For some people, such damage can result in skin cancer. Figures from the American Cancer Society suggest that there are nearly one million new basal cell skin cancers each year. The good news is that basal cell carcinoma rarely metastasizes and can easily be treated and cured when discovered early.

Katrien Nacke

Pundit

Can you pick off a basal cell carcinoma?

These cancers seldom metastasize but can grow larger - and so should be removed. To minimize scarring and disfigurement, a basal cell carcinoma on the face should generally be taken off with a specialized form of surgery called Mohs.

Anand Swartz

Pundit

What happens to untreated basal cell carcinoma?

Basal cell carcinoma is a slow growing skin tumor. It usually does not spread to distant parts of the body or into the blood stream. Basal cell carcinoma does spread on the skin and can become quite large over time. If left untreated, it can spread to the muscles, nerves, bones, brain, and in rare cases, cause death.

Mona Schojohann

Teacher

Can you have multiple basal cell carcinoma?

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of skin cancer with multifactorial causes. We present two cases of multiple sporadic, nonsyndromic BCCs, and one of these cases is a unique case of parotid invasion associated purely with actinic keratosis.

Kira Rabal

Teacher

Can basal cell carcinoma be a secondary cancer?

It's very rare for basal cell skin cancer to spread to another part of the body to form a secondary cancer. It's possible to have more than one basal cell cancer at any one time and having had one does increase your risk of getting another.

Limam Jadan

Teacher

How often does basal cell carcinoma spread?

The tumors enlarge very slowly, sometimes so slowly that they go unnoticed as new growths. However, the growth rate varies greatly from tumor to tumor, with some growing as much as ½ inch (about 1 centimeter) in a year. Basal cell carcinomas rarely spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body.

Malkit Cornblum

Teacher

Can basal cell carcinoma disappear and reappear?

Basal cell cancer most often appears on sun-exposed areas such as the face, scalp, ears, chest, back, and legs. Basal cell cancer can also appear as a pimple-like growth that heals, only to come back again and again. A less common form called morpheaform, looks like a smooth white or yellowish waxy scar.

Boumediene Maryshev

Reviewer

Does basal cell carcinoma appear suddenly?

Scar-Like Patch of Skin
This is often the sign of a fast growing basal cell carcinoma. Basal cell carcinoma can appear suddenly. Unfortunately, when it shows up, it is often not recognized.

Wassim Montes

Reviewer

Are there different types of basal cell carcinoma?

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common paraneoplastic disease among human neoplasms. Different variants as nodular, cystic, micronodular, superficial, pigment BCC are described in literature and the differential diagnosis in some cases could be difficult.

Hikmat Ludlow

Reviewer

How long does it take to heal after basal cell removal?

Depending upon the size, may take up to 4 to 6 weeks for the wound to heal completely, but infection, bleeding and pain are uncommon.

Hilaria Galano

Reviewer

What does superficial basal cell carcinoma mean?

BASAL CELL carcinoma (BCC) is the most common skin cancer. Collectively, superficial BCC and SCC in situ represent a substantial percentage of malignant cutaneous neoplasms. Superficial BCC is confined to or contiguous with the epidermis, and SCC in situ by definition does not invade the underlying dermis.