Basal and Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Question 1

what type of skin cancers are squamous cell carcinoma(SCC) and basal cell carcinoma(BCC)

Answer 1

keratinocyte(non-melanocytic) tumours

Question 2

how common are BCC and SCC

Answer 2

BCC = very common ~70% skin cancers
SCC = less common ~20% skin cancers

Question 3

what sites are BCC mostly seen at

Answer 3

sun exposed areas

Question 4

what group of people are BCC seen in most often

Answer 4

middle age and elderly

Question 5

describe the behaviour of BCC

Answer 5

slow growing, painless, locally invasive, almost never metastasise

Question 6

describe the general appearance of a BCC

Answer 6

‘pearly’ or translucent, visible/arborising blood vessels, central ulceration(“rodent ulcer”), poorly defined margins

Question 7

what different types of BCC can you get

Answer 7

nodular, superficial, infiltrative(morphoeic) or pigmented

Question 8

describe what superficial BCC can present as and what other disease it can look like

Answer 8

as scaly plaque, can look similar to dermatitis

Question 9

describe the behaviour of SCC

Answer 9

locally invasive, low but definite risk of mets, grows faster than BCC, may be painful or bleed

Question 10

describe the commonest clinical setting for a SCC

Answer 10

elderly, sun exposed site, UV implicated

Question 11

what sites are SCC most commonly seen at

Answer 11

face, ears, dorsal hands, scalp etc.

Question 12

describe the prognosis of SCC

Answer 12

good prognosis if no mets, if mets then poorer prognossi

Question 13

describe the lesions seen in SCC

Answer 13

warty or crusted(hyperkeratotic) lump/ulcer

Question 14

what are the precursor lesions for SCC

Answer 14

Bowen’s disease, actinic keratosis, viral lesions

Question 15

what precursor lesion is also called squamous carcinoma-in-situ

Answer 15

Bowen’s disease