An Overview on Basal Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC), first described by Jacob in the early 1800(1), is the most common cancer in the general population, accounting for 80% of nonmelanoma skin cancer (2). Worldwide incidence is increasing by about 10% per annum, so the prevalence of BCC will soon equal that of all other cancers combined(3). The average lifetime risk for white skinned individuals to develop BCC is approximately 30 %(4). BCC is uncommon in dark skinned races. Studies have estimated that 1.2% to 4.6% of BCCs arise in black patients (5). BCC is more common in men than in women (ratio of approximately 2:1). BCC most commonly occurs in older than 50 years old (6). Interestingly, women younger than 40 years of age have been found to slightly outnumber men in this age group (7). The increased incidence rates could be attributed to changes in sunbathing behavior in the young and the middleaged, which has changed during the 20th century. Particularly after the Second World War, more people had leisure time for outdoor activities. Also, women’s clothing changed allowing larger parts of the body to be exposed to the sun (8).