Mohs Surgery: Q&A
Ask a QuestionWhat Happens to a BCC Left Unremoved?
I'm sure that there are a lot of people out there with basal and squamos cell cancers out there. What really happens if they never get them removed?
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9 Doctor Answers |
Asked by
chauchat
in San Diego
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BCCA Untreated
As others have already mentioned, BCCA is generally slow growing and indolent. However, if given long enough, a basal cell carcinoma on the face will spread locally and can eventually affect nerves and even the brain. Patients with chronic immunosuppression, such as with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), develop much more aggressive variants. Given the cumulative solar exposure in SW Florida and an aging patient population, I have seen a number of patients with CLL and...
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Not treating BCC or SCC
In general,unless you are very old and very sick it is a bad idea to not treat a BCC or SCC. BCCs don't spread but can go down to and though bone. SCC can spread and can be fatal.
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Basal call carcinoma can be Destructive
Basal cell carcinoma rarely metastasizes- spreads to other parts of the body. I had one patient that this happened to . It is known as the rodent ulcer. I had one patient who refused treatment and over three years lost his ear. Basal cell carcinoma can invade deeper tissues and bone How fast any cancer is going to grow can not be accurately predicted. Squamous cell carcinoma kills approximately 3000 people per year . It is unfortunate when patients do not treat conditions which are so...
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Consequences of untreated skin cancer
Consequences of untreated skin cancer often depends on the type however squamous cell cancer untreated could spread and metastasize with very serious consequences, basal cell, rarely spread, but can be very locally destructive to underlying skin, nerve, muscle and bone. We dont recommend not treating skin cancer.
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Basal Cell Carcinoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma Left Untreated
Leaving either basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma untreated is not a good idea. Basal cell carcinoma grows slowly, destroying the normal healthy tissue around it. It can travel along nerves and destroy important structures so it's better to treat it with one of many techniques available. Rarely after years of no treatment or inadequate treatment it can metastasize or spread to other organs.
Squamous cell carcinoma does have a risk to metastasis. The risk is higher for...
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Bcc left untreated
Basal cell caricnomas, even though they seem to be a harmless solvable problem, when left alone get bigger and deeper. They grow with roots and the cells invade the surrounding tissue- thus leading to a much bigger problem as time progresses.
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Does Basal Cell Carcinoma Need Treatment?
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer. While this rarely spreads to other parts of the body, if it is left untreated it will not go away. These skin cancers will continue to grow and destroy the surrounding tissue, creating a giant sore or ulcer that never heals on the skin. Because the majority of basal cell carcinoma appear on the head and neck, you can imagine how disfiguring these cancers can be if they start growing on your nose, cheek or eyelid. I have had patient...
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Untreated basal cell carcinoma
In general, basal cell carcinomas are not life threatening skin cancers . They are however known as the rodent ulcer. This term comes from the fact that they are locally destructive to the tissue. They certainly can invade and eat in to bone. Aside from being disfiguring, this cancer can eventually spread and when it does it is more deadly than melanoma.
Boulder Dermatologist
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Should I let a Basal Cell Carcinoma alone?
Neglecting any cancer is a bad idea. Of the three commonest skin cancers (basal cell, squamous cell and melanoma) if neglected basal cell will take the longest to be fatal. Unlike the other two which spread through the lymphatic vessels and through the blood and lymphatics resulting in higher and quicker fatalities, basal cell spreads locally and invades and destroys local structures. Every Plastic surgeon has seen the horrendous facial destruction of neglected basal cell carcinoma :...
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Comments (1)
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.
I am a 47yr old woman.I have had basal cell cancer removed from my forehead 3 time from the same area. The last time I had mohs surgery. They cut me 7 time's, I lost the whole left side of my forehead and needed a skin graft to close the whole. Now it is 6 months later and I feel a very hard pea size ball in the skin graft area. Could my basal cell have spread to my skull? My Dr did send me for a CT, I am waiting for my next appt to find out what it could be but I am so worried.