- BCC is the most common cancer in humans and the most common type of skin cancer
- BCCs are believed to arise from hair follicle cells and are therefore found almost exclusively on hair-bearing skin
- Most lesions are found on sun-exposed mask areas of the head and neck, but non–sun-exposed areas are also at risk
- These tumors tend to grow slowly, but when untreated can lead to invasion of local structures including muscle, cartilage, and bone.
- Although the biologic behavior of BCC is characterized by local and sometimes disfiguring invasiveness:
- Metastasis is rare, occurring in less than 0.05% of cases
- There are multiple histologic subtypes of BCC, and subtype is predictive of its behavior:
- Less aggressive subtypes include:
- Nodular BCC
- Superficial BCC
- Keratotic variant of BCC
- Infundibulocystic variant of BCC
- Fibroepithelioma of Pinkus
- Less aggressive subtypes include:
- Higher-risk subtypes include:
- Sclerosing variant of BCC
- Infiltrating variant of BCC
- Micronodular variant of BCC
- Morpheaform (or desmoplastic) variant of BCC
- Basosquamous carcinoma
- The higher-risk subtypes tend to have subclinical extension exceeding the visible borders of the lesion:
- Making treatment more difficult
- Nodular BCC is the classic lesion of this type of non melanoma skin cancers (NMSC):
- It appears as a pink translucent nodule with rolled edges and is often described as “pearly”:
- In dark-skinned individuals, these tumors are often pigmented and can resemble melanoma
- Overlying telangiectasias and ulceration are common:
- They occur predominantly on the face
- It appears as a pink translucent nodule with rolled edges and is often described as “pearly”:

- Superficial BCC:
- Is a variant that is more common on the limbs and trunk, and on other areas with little or no sun exposure:
- It presents as a slow-growing, scaly pink plaque and can easily be confused with psoriasis, superficial SCC or SCC in situ (Bowen disease):
- Gentle traction on the periphery of the lesion:
- Often demonstrates a shiny translucent surface characteristic of BCC which can assist with diagnosis
- Gentle traction on the periphery of the lesion:
- It presents as a slow-growing, scaly pink plaque and can easily be confused with psoriasis, superficial SCC or SCC in situ (Bowen disease):
- Is a variant that is more common on the limbs and trunk, and on other areas with little or no sun exposure:
- The histologic subtype of BCC:
- Is highly predictive of its behavior
- Less aggressive subtypes include:
- Nodular BCC
- Superficial BCC
- Keratotic variant
- Infundibulocystic variant BCC
- Fibroepithelioma of Pinkus
- Higher-risk subtypes include:
- Sclerosing BCC
- Morpheaform BCC
- Infiltrative BCC
- Micronodular BCC
- Basosquamous carcinoma,
- Nodular BCC:
- Which represents approximately 60% of cases:
- Is the most common type
- It appears as a pink, translucent nodule with rolled edges:
- Often described as “pearly”
- Overlying telangiectasias and ulceration are common
- BCCs:
- Most commonly occur on the face (Head and Neck Region)
- Histologically, nodular BCC consists of:
- Peripheral palisading of cells and chaotic arrangement of cells in the central region
- Which represents approximately 60% of cases:
- The sclerosing variant:
- Has increased fibroblasts and the presence of fibrotic desmoplastic stroma















