Basal Cell Carcinoma: Head and neck

• Highest cure rate (more than 99% for some tumours)
• A minimal amount of healthy tissue is removed
• Optimal cosmetic results

• Time consuming - the procedure will take up least half a day
• More expensive than other options

The site will generally heal well, however risks include bleeding, haematoma formation (blood clot under the surface of the skin which rarely requires drainage), dehiscence (the stitches may come apart requiring a longer period of healing and leaving a larger scar), flap or graft failure requiring a longer period of healing, infection, pain (which rarely may be persistent), unsightly scar - which may be keloid, raised, dipped or different in texture or colour (lighter, darker or redder compared to the adjacent skin), nerve damage, numbness or burning (which rarely can be permanent) and a small risk of recurrence of the tumour.

• Suitable for any body site
• Good cure rate with low risk of recurrence

• Scar may be longer than with Mohs surgery
• Lower cure rate than with Mohs surgery
• Stitches are required and the scar will take time to heal and gain full strength

For a surgical excision the site will generally heal well. The scar will on average be at least three times longer than the length of the lesion. Risks include bleeding, haematoma formation (blood clot under the surface which rarely needs to be drained surgically), dehiscence (the wound may come apart requiring a longer period of healing), infection, pain (which rarely may be persistent), damage to nerves or blood vessels, unsightly scar which may be keloid, raised, dipped or different in texture or colour (lighter, darker or redder compared to the adjacent skin), numbness or burning and the need for further treatment according to the results of pathology.

• Avoids need for surgery
• Minimaly invasive treatment

• Lower cure rate than surgery
• Multiple visits required to the hospital

The treatment is performed by an oncologist and they will discuss risks and benefits with you in detail. In general radiotherapy can cause textural change and scarring which usually comes on slowly over a number of years after the treatment. It can also slightly increase the risk of skin cancers in the treated area.

• Relatively simple procedure
• No stitches needed - scar is a similar size to the tumour

• Lower cure rate and higher risk of recurrance compared with other methods of surgical treatment
• Uncertain cosmetic appearance of the scar
• Can take longer to heal than wide local exicision (using stitches)

For curettage and cautery the lesion is removed by scraping (curettage) under local anaesthetic. This will generally leave a flat scar slightly larger than the lesion. Risks include bleeding, infection, pain (which rarely may be persistent), unsightly scar which may be keloid, raised, dipped or different in texture or colour (lighter, darker or redder compared to the adjacent skin), recurrence of the lesion and the need for further treatment according to the results of pathology.