I had a mole removed and the biopsy said basal cell carcinoma.?

Question

But checking the internet I discover that all mole cancers are melanoma (which is serious). Can anyone explain this conflict?

Answer 1

Not all mole cancers are melanoma. Some are basal cell and squamous cell; they are different . Basal cell and squamous cell are typically in raised moles; melanoma presents itself in flat, irregular shaped moles. Basal and squamous cell cancers do not spread as quickly as melanoma. I'm not saying they are safe, but they are not as deadly as melanoma.

Answer 2

You misunderstood what you read.
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common non-melanoma skin cancer. The real danger with a BCC is that the cancer is ignored and continues to grow and then leaves a large unsightly scar when finally removed. That said, you can have a basal cell for years and unless it is growing rapidly it can still be easily cured. I have one relative that had a bump on her nose for 15 years. She finally went to a dermatologist who biopsied the small bump and the pathology report came back as BCC. The lesion was removed and now there is now no scar despite the cancer having been there for many years.
Cure rates for all BCC range at about 88% and since that includes all the people who have ignored their cancer and let it grow until it is difficult to treat easily, the true cure rate is very high - in the high 90%.

http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic214.htm

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_4X_Treatment_of_Basal_Cell_Carcinoma_51.asp

Surgical excision is the treatment of choice unless the BCC is so small that it can be frozen. The lesion is numbed and then removed. This takes about 3 minutes and is painless as long as you apply antibiotic cream afterwards and keep the area clean as it heals. You may need one or two stitches depending on size of the lesion. Make sure and apply suntan lotion to fresh scars when outdoors since your chances of a second skin cancer have now increased since you have already had one diagnosed skin cancer.

Answer 3

Either the internet sites where you looked were wrong or you misunderstood. That's ok. believe me, you WANT it to be basal cell rather than melanoma. Melanoma is very deadly, whereas basal cell can usually be treated very easily, especially when caught early.

Answer 4

DON'T rely on what you read on the Internet - that includes me, I guess.

If you are looking for reliable information, start with the NIH and go on from there. You need articles which are peer reviewed, from a doctor based at a hospital or university.

Here's the first article I got searching for "basal cell carcinoma " NIH:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/skincancer.html

Answer 5

the site you went to is wrong. not all mole cancers are melanomas. in fact, most are basal cell, which thankfully are the lesser of 2 evils.

Answer 6

Safely & Permanently Remove Moles, Warts and Skin Blemishes

Answer 7

ANY carcinoma is cancer. It's actually skin cancer and the most common type of cancer caused by overexposure to sun (too much tanning!) out there and easily treatable. See a dermatologist or oncologist to plot out treatment.