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How Fast Does Basal Cell Carcinoma Grow?

From what I have read, basal cell carcinoma (BCC) tends to be slow growing. What exactly does that mean? I am 43 years old and have a BCC located just below my nose and scheduled for Mohs surgery on Tuesday. I have had the BCC for at least 5 years, probably longer. My surgeon tells me that there is no way to know how much tissue will be removed until surgery. Immediately following the Mohs surgery, I will see a plastic surgeon to repair the wound. My bcc is pink slightly elevated with a rolled border and a crusted indentation in the center. When i went to the dermatologist, he knew right away just from looking at it that it was a BCC, biopsy confirmed. Do they grow at a certain rate? I just want to be prepared. Any information will be helpful.

Asked 35 months ago by Gillis in Franklin, TN

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basal cell carcinoma

Basal Cell Carcinoma Growth Pattern

Basal Cell Carcinomas tend to be a slow growing skin cancer with little risk of metastasis to other body sites; however, the skin cancer does slowly and insidiously grow, destroying the normal healthy tissue. The reason that basal cell carcinomas are treated is because of this slow growth where the healthy tissue is replaced or infiltrated by the skin cancer and because these tumors can spread along nerves, blood vessels, cartilage, etc and be difficult to remove. The fact that you know... more

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Andrew Kaufman, MD

Los Angeles Dermatologic Surgeon

Growth rate of BCC

Basal cell skin cancers vary in their growth rates - typically no faster than 2-3 mm over 2-3 months. Local destruction and invasion is what we worry about with BCC, as metastasis of this tumor is very rare. It is common for patients to present with these growths that appear to have been present for years, apparently unchanged. The visible portion of the tumor, however, does not always give an accurate picture of the entire size of the tumor. It may be the "tip of the iceberg" so to... more

Bryan K. Chen, MD

San Diego Dermatologist

Basal Cell Carcinomas can grow slowly or quickly, but usually only locally.

Thank you for your question. Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) is the most common type of skin cancer and is due to recurrent sun exposure, but not related to the number of sunburns (although that definitely does contribute). A BCC tends to grow like the "roots of a tree". Usually it is slow growth, but what you see on the surface may not represent the entire tumor. The tumor can easily be growing underneath the skin and spreading, but you might not see most of it, and that's why you... more

Don Mehrabi, MD

Beverly Hills Dermatologist

Basal cell carcinoma growth rate difficult to generalize

Well, typically BCCs grow very slowly, but there are occasions when they grow fast. If a person's immune system is compromised (i.e. from medications or generic disorders), BCC can grow faster. If the cancer has been there for 5 years, typically it's bigger than a dime, but again it's hard to say. Each person's BCC grow as different rates. I'm a Mohs surgeon and have seen thousands of BCCs.

Nobuyoshi Kageyama, MD

Seattle Dermatologist

There's no predefined rate of growth

There's no clear cut answer to your question - how fast does basal cell cancer grow? In some people, it appears rather abruptly and grows quickly. In others, such as yourself, it may start out as a smaller cancer or pre-cancer (actinic keratosis) and grow slowly. The important fact is that it will keep growing until it is removed, so be sure to have it taken it. Often times what is seen by the naked eye is just the tip of the iceberg. The sooner you get that out, the less damage there will... more

Jonathan Hoenig, MD

Beverly Hills Oculoplastic Surgeon

How fast does basal cell carcinoma grow

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) tends to grow slowly and invade locally and usually do not kill people the way squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma can (these can spread thru the blood stream called metastasis which BCC does not). But it's difficult to generalize about how fast they grow--they can grow slowly or quickly. There are some aggressive BCC's which can invade deeply and into the nerves which can create functional problems (especially if it involves the eye, nose,... more

M. Christine Lee, MD

Walnut Creek Dermatologic Surgeon

Mohs surgey is the best option for basal cell carcinoma under the nose.

It is true that basal cell carcinoma has a relatively slower growth rate than other skin cancers, but it is still cancer, meaning that it will continue to grow and be destructive. After a long period of neglect, it might even attach to a local nerve or blood vessel and risk spread to deeper tissues or other parts of the body. The location under your nose may mean that while your Mohs surgeon can remove all of the tumor cells with 99% accuracy or greater, it could be a complex area to... more

Jessica J. Krant, MD, MPH

Manhattan Dermatologic Surgeon

Basal Cell growth rate

Basal Cell Cancer does grow slowly. That being said, in your post you mentioned I have had it for 5 years. Does that mean you had other basal cell cancers or this particular lesion? Five years ago was this particular lesion discovered for the first time? Remember just because a lesion is noticed doesn't mean it wasn't there a long time before that. That is the reason it is hard to ascertain growth rates for basal cell exactly because who would subject themselves to that... more

Chris Thiagarajah, MD

Washington DC Oculoplastic Surgeon

Varies on Type, Immunity, Location

As a rule basal cell carcinomas grow slowly. However, do not tell this to anyone with an aggressive "rodent ulcer". This type of basal cell can erode the skin fairly rapidly, causing a deep excavation in what a few months earlier was only a small bump. In fact, on occasion, when badly neglected, the rodent ulcer can penetrate through bone. Every year the American Academy of Dermatology devotes its first two days to brief (10... more

Arnold R. Oppenheim, MD

Virginia Beach Dermatologist

Basal cell carcinomas (BCCA) grows slowly

While basal cell carcinomas grow very slowly but no one knows exactly how slowly. Your surgeon was accurate in saying that he won't know how large the excision will be until examination under the microscope. Fortunately plastic surgeons who work with Mohs surgeons are very adept at repairing any size defect.

D.J. Verret, MD

Dallas Facial Plastic Surgeon

Basal cell rate of growth varies

Unfortunately, there's no exact way to know how large the tumor will be based solely on the amount of time it has been there. Basal cell cancers do grow slowly relative to other types, but it is a different rate in each patient... in fact, it's different in each tumor. Some grow large over weeks to months, and other are present for years. The longer the lesion has been there, the larger it may be, however. It's good that you're having Mohs surgery for removal. Then you can be confident that more

Chad L. Prather, MD

Baton Rouge Dermatologist

Basal cell carcinoma growth rate may be slow but can be insidious

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are known as non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). The lifetime risk of NMSC among Caucasian-Americans is at least 1 in 5. The actual growth rates vary depending on one's immune status, amount of pre-existing sun damage, etc. Where SCC typically grows faster than BCC, BCC can be very insidious with indistinct borders, and may not be recognized for years. For that reason, it is critical that every fair-skin person gets a head to toe... more

William Ting, MD

Bay Area Dermatologic Surgeon

Basal Cell Carcinoma Growth Rate

There are many sub types of Basal Cell Carcinoma and these include nodular, superficial, infiltrative and morpheaform. All Basal cell carcinoma's grow at a different rate. However, in general, this tumor is not considered a "fast" growing tumor.

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