Basal Cell vs Squamous Cell vs Melanoma - Cancer: Skin Message Board

gingertea · 10-14-2007, 07:48 PM

I grew up in So Cal, so in my younger years I burned and blistered, time after time. I have had moles removed that were biopsied and okay and several sun damage spots frozen off my face. Last week I went to the dermo for a funny looking spot on my arm and a general check for skin damage. She said she was almost sure the spot on my arm was basal cell carcinoma, and she took the whole thing off, to be biopsied. She also did a punch biopsy on a mole on my chest and I had a couple of stitches. She expected the chunk of basal cell she sliced off my arm would need no further treatment. She said if the mole came back malignant I would need more cutting done. Why the difference in the treatment, if she suspected basal cell in both cases?

amiee79 · 10-15-2007, 04:45 PM

I think the difference in treatment for a malignancy or just basal cell carcinoma is that for a non-malignancy (Basal cell carcinoma) the spot does not spread deep enough into the dermis and thus cutting away the spot shall get rid of the non-malignancy. As for a malignancy the cancer spreads thus a need to remove more of the dermis....and depending on where the malignancy metasizes (cancer cells could invade further down the dermis or even a nearby lymph nodes).

This is me researching on my own. Hope this explains.

paulwilliams · 11-01-2007, 04:52 PM

I have had a punch biopsy on the chest and had to go back. It seems that the punch biopsy doesn't get it all - they look at the biopsy under a microscope and if there isn't at least a millimeter margin of good tissue arround the cancer you go back - they get more of you. That's true for BCC and SCC too. I was told by my Doctors that BCC has about a 5% mortality rate, SCC about 10%, Melanoma has the highest, use your sunblock - stay out of the sun.