Treatment and Prognosis
Basal cell cancer is treated with microscopic surgery, radiotherapy, local injection of chemotherapy drugs or using cryotherapy.
Basal cell cancer or basal cell carcinoma is treated with excision of the cancer using microscopic surgery. Following surgery, the wound is closed in case of small cancers or repaired with plastic surgery in case of larger cancers. Excision should be complete to prevent the cancer from recurring.
Superficial cancers can also be treated with local injections of anticancer drugs like 5-fluorouracil and imiquimod or with cryotherapy.
Prognosis – Is generally good for treatment with complete cure. Death from basal cell cancer is rare and accounts for less than 0.1% of patient deaths due to cancer.
It rarely spreads to distant locations and the incidence of this is only 0.028 to 0.55%.
Prognosis or outcome of basal cell cancer is guarded in the following cases:
- Large cancers more than 2 cm in width.
- Location near the eye, nose and ear.
- Ill-defined margins.
- Recurrent cancers. Those located near the inner angle of the eye have the highest rate of recurrence.
- Cancers occurring in patients with decreased immunity.