How Basal Cell Carcinoma Looks

	A basal cell carcinoma

Basal cell carcinomas

• are usually flesh-coloured, red or black
• appear as small, round or flattened bumps with pearly borders
• tend to bleed following minor injury

Basal cell carcinoma was once found mostly in middle-aged and older people, but it is now developing in younger people as well, including people in their teens and 20s.

Basal cell carcinoma is a slow growing cancer and it is unusual for it to spread to distant parts of the body. However, if left untreated, it can spread to nearby areas and invade the bone or other tissues beneath the skin.

After treatment, basal cell carcinoma can recur in the same place, or a new spot may develop elsewhere on the skin. People who have had this form of skin cancer once have an increased risk of developing a new skin cancer within the next five years.

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