Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common type of skin cancer. This Skin Cancer Awareness Month, our team at Lakeland Surgical Clinic, PLLC, in Jackson, Mississippi, wants to bring more awareness to the diagnosis.
The good news is that it’s highly treatable — especially when caught early. In many cases, surgical removal offers the most effective solution.
If you’ve been diagnosed with BCC, understanding when surgery is recommended, what it involves, and what to expect afterward can help you feel more confident in your care.
Surgery is often the first-line treatment for basal cell carcinoma, particularly when:
While some superficial basal cell carcinomas may be treated with topical therapies or other non-surgical approaches, our team typically recommends surgery when complete removal with clear margins is the priority.
There are a few different surgical approaches that our team uses for basal cell carcinoma, and the right one depends on the size, depth, and location of the lesion.
This is one of the most common methods. We remove the cancerous lesion along with a small margin of healthy tissue to ensure we remove all of the cancerous cells. We close the area with stitches.
For basal cell carcinomas on the face and other high-risk areas, Mohs surgery removes the cancer in carefully staged layers. During the procedure, we examine each layer under a microscope, ensuring precise removal while preserving as much healthy tissue as possible.
In certain cases, especially for smaller or superficial basal cell carcinomas, we scrape away the lesion and treat the area with controlled electrical current to destroy remaining cancer cells.
Surgical treatments for BCC have very high cure rates, which is one of the reasons they’re so commonly recommended.
These outcomes are best when the cancer is treated early and fully removed.
Any surgical procedure will leave a scar, but our surgical team always has the goal to minimize and strategically place it.
Several factors influence how a scar heals:
In areas like the face, we use techniques such as Mohs surgery to preserve healthy tissue and get you the best cosmetic outcomes. Over time, most scars fade significantly and become less noticeable.
Any non-surgical treatments available, such as topical medications or light-based therapies, are typically reserved for very specific cases.
Surgery remains the gold standard for most basal cell carcinomas because it offers the highest likelihood of complete removal.
If you’ve noticed a changing skin lesion or received a diagnosis, a surgical evaluation can help you move forward with an effective treatment plan. Call Lakeland Surgical Clinic, PLLC, today or use the online tool to reach out and schedule a visit.
