- basal cell carcinoma
- (BCC)the commonest form of skin cancer. Although classified as a malignant tumour, it grows very slowly. BCC usually occurs on the central area of the face, especially in fair-skinned people; the prevalence increases greatly with exposure to sunlight. The initial sign is a spot or lump that fails to heal, enlarging to a diameter of 1 cm over five years or so. Treatment is straight-forward, using curettage and cautery, surgical excision, cryotherapy, or radiotherapy. Only if neglected for decades does a BCC eventually become a so-called rodent ulcer and destroy the surrounding tissue. However, the term 'rodent ulcer' is still sometimes used to mean any basal cell carcinoma.
Medical dictionary. 2011.