University College Hospital

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1 University College Hospital Dermatology Services Basal cell carcinoma (BCC)

2 If you need a large print, audio or translated copy of this document, please contact us on We will try our best to meet your needs. Content 1. Introduction 2. What is Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC)? 3. What happens if a BCC is suspected? 4. What happens next? 5. Asking for your consent 6. Will further investigations be performed? 7. Will I need further treatment? 8. How should I prepare for the surgical procedure? 9. How can I prevent BCCs in the future? 10. Where can I get more information? 11. Contact 12. Where to find us

3 1. Introduction You have been given this leaflet because you have been diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most common type of skin cancer. The leaflet aims to provide you with information about BCC the treatments and tests you will be offered. 2. What is Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC)? BCC is the most common form of skin cancer. It is a cancer of the outer layer of the skin. It grows slowly and almost never spreads to other organs. If it is left untreated, it will damage the surrounding skin as it grows. 3. What happens if a BCC is suspected? The lesion will be cut out (excision biopsy) or if it is on the head and neck a small section of it will be cut out (biopsy), this is sent to the laboratory to be looked at under the microscope 4. What happens next? After the BCC is diagnosed, a further surgical excision may be necessary to ensure complete removal of the BCC. This operation may be performed by the dermatologists or the head and neck surgeons at UCLH or by the plastic surgeons at the Royal Free Hospital You may be offered a special type of surgery called Mohs micrographic surgery. If you require this type of operation your doctor will discuss the procedure with you, explaining the risks and benefits and you will be given a Mohs leaflet to take home with you. Sometimes radiotherapy is used as treatment for BCC that are difficult to manage surgically and for elderly patients or others who are in poor health and would not tolerate surgery. If your BCC is very superficial, we may suggest cryotherapy (where we remove the BCC by freezing it) or treatment with a cream applied for several weeks to the BCC instead of surgery.

4 5. Asking for your consent We want to involve you in all the decisions about your care and treatment. If you decide to go ahead with treatment, by law we must ask for your consent and will ask you to sign a consent form. This confirms that you agree to have the procedure and understands what it involves. Staff will explain all the risks, benefits, and alternatives before they ask you to sign a consent form. If you are unsure about any aspect of your proposed treatment, please do not hesitate to speak with a senior member of staff again. Most surgical operations require a local anaesthetic only so you will be awake during the procedure and you will be given information about how to look after your wound and pain relief when you go home. 6. Will further investigations be performed? BCC does not usually spread to other organs in the body so no other tests are necessary. 7. Will I need further treatment? No, once surgical excision of the BCC is carried out or you have had radiotherapy this is the only treatment necessary. 8. How should I prepare for the surgical procedure? Bring a list of all your medications Tell us about any allergies you have to medicines, rubber, anaesthetics, iodine, Elastoplast etc. Smoking makes healing of the skin more difficult and there is a greater chance of infection and poor healing if you smoke. You should aim to stop smoking two weeks before and two weeks after surgery. It is very important that you tell your doctor if you are taking any medicines that affect your blood thinning such as aspirin, warfarin and clopidogrel. You may be advised to stop taking your medication or to have a blood test before your surgery.

5 9. How can I prevent BCCs in the future? The commonest cause of BCCs is overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun or from sun beds. Therefore it is important to follow the following principles. 1. Seek the shade between 10 am and 3 pm 2. Do not burn, avoid tanning and sun beds 3. Cover up with clothing including a broad brimmed hat 4. Use sunscreen with SPF30 or higher which also has UVA protection everyday on exposed skin example face and hands. If you are worried about your wound following your treatment or have any other questions or concerns, you can talk to the Dermatology Clinical Nurse Specialist: Dermatology Clinical Nurse Specialist: Direct line: Appointments: Secretaries: Fax: Where can I get more information? Macmillan Cancer Care, telephone , British Association of: Dermatologists Skin Cancer UK UCLH cannot accept responsibility for information provided by external organisations.

6 11. Contact details University College London Hospitals Department of Dermatology, 250 Euston Road, London NW1 2PG Switchboard / Fax: Website: Skin Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist: Tel: or Dermatology Secretaries:

7 12. Where to find us

8 Space for notes and questions First published: 2010 Date last reviewed November 14 Date next review due: November 16 Leaflet code: UCLH/MS/DERM/ BCC/1 University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust