Is basal cell carcinoma treatable?

Treatment aims to clear the cancer while preserving healthy skin and function. A dermatologist confirms the diagnosis, often with a small skin sample, before matching the method to the tumour and the person.

Surgical excision removes the growth with a margin of nearby skin. Mohs surgery examines thin layers during the procedure and may be considered where conserving tissue matters, such as parts of the face, or when a tumour has higher-risk features.

Selected superficial lesions may be managed with a prescribed skin medicine or photodynamic therapy. Radiotherapy can be considered when surgery is unsuitable or would cause difficult functional or cosmetic effects. These options are not interchangeable; the pathology and location guide the choice.

Arrange a dermatology assessment rather than trying to remove or treat the area yourself. Bring details of when it appeared, whether it bleeds or crusts, previous skin cancers, medicines and any treatment already used.

After treatment, follow wound-care instructions and attend skin checks at the interval your clinician recommends. Protect exposed skin with shade, clothing and sunscreen, and watch both the treated site and the rest of your skin for a new or changing lesion.

Book a prompt appointment for a sore that does not heal, a pearly or shiny bump, a scaly patch that keeps returning, or an area that bleeds with little provocation. Seek faster assessment if a known lesion is enlarging, becoming painful, interfering with the eye, nose or mouth, or showing redness, warmth, swelling or discharge.

Ask which subtype the pathology shows, whether the edges and depth are clear, why the proposed treatment suits this location, what wound care will be needed, and what changes should trigger an earlier follow-up.