About 80-85 percent of all skin cancers are basal cell carcinoma (BCC). This type of carcinoma typically affects cells in the deeper layers of the epidermis. They usually appear as small flesh-colored moles. They are slow growing and rarely metastasize, but should still be examined, biopsied, and removed by a doctor.
Basal Cell Carcinoma is also the most treatable, as it rarely spreads to other parts of the body. BCC may look like:
- A dome shaped papule, shiny like a pearl, pink or skin colored, with or without a small red blood vessel.
- An “acne like” lesion that never goes away.
- A red scaling red patch.
- A lesion that bleeds easily.