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.

4 answers to “How fast does basal cell carcinoma grow?”

A: there's no predefined rate of growth

By Jonathan Hoenig, MD - Beverly Hills Oculoplastic surgeon

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... more

A: Growth rate of BCC

By Bryan K. Chen, MD - San Diego Dermatologist

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,... more

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

By Don Mehrabi, MD - Beverly Hills Dermatologist

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... more

A: Basal cell carcinoma growth rate difficult to generalize

By Nobuyoshi Kageyama, MD - Seattle Dermatologist

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... more

Comments

Lillian Brugone
unregistered guest

10 Apr 2009

I am hearing so many different things about BCC cancer and its removal. Is it important to have a plastic surgon available at the time of the surgury,and or have a plastic surgoen available.