Basal cell carcinoma

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Risk factors

By Mayo Clinic staff

Factors that increase your risk of basal cell carcinoma include:

  • Chronic sun exposure. A lifetime spent in the sun — or in commercial tanning booths — is the most common cause of basal cell carcinoma. The threat is greater if you live in a sunny or high-altitude climate, both of which expose you to more UV radiation. The risk is also higher if most of your exposure occurred before the age of 18.
  • Fair skin. If you have very light skin or you freckle or sunburn easily, you're more likely to develop skin cancer than is someone with a darker complexion. Your risk is greater if you had at least one blistering sunburn in childhood, though sunburns later in life don't seem to increase the risk of basal cell carcinoma.
  • Your sex. Men are far more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma than women are, though the incidence in women is increasing.
  • Your age. Because basal cell carcinomas often take decades to develop, about 80 percent of basal cell carcinomas occur in people age 50 or older. In recent years, however, the tumors have become much more common in younger people and are increasing every year among adults of all ages.
  • A personal or family history of skin cancer. If you've had basal cell carcinoma one or more times, you have a good chance of developing it again. You're also at greater risk if a close relative has had skin cancer.
  • Immune-suppressing drugs. Taking medications that suppress your immune system, especially after transplant surgery, significantly increases your risk of skin cancer. Tumors in people with a weakened immune system generally are more aggressive than they are in otherwise healthy people.
Complications Causes

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References
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  2. Basal cell carcinoma. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/public/publications/pamphlets/sun_basal.html. Accessed Feb. 6, 2009.
  3. Detailed guide: Skin cancer - basal and squamous cell. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_1X_What_is_skin_cancer_51.asp. Accessed Feb. 6, 2009.
  4. Urist MM, et al. Melanoma and cutaneous malignancies. In: Townsend CM, et al. Townsend: Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: W.B. Saunders; 2007.http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/119479231-5/0/1565/1.html?tocnode=54736195&fromURL=1.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3675-3..X5001-1--TOP_1. Accessed Feb. 6, 2009.
  5. Burns J. Bartter's syndrome and basal cell carcinoma. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2009. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/119515236-9/801847095/1701/79.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-04134-8..50005-7--cesec92_1598. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  6. Sunscreen. The Skin Cancer Foundation. http://www.skincancer.org/the-scfs-guide-to-sunscreens.html. Accessed Feb. 6, 2009.
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  9. Neoplasia. In: Kumar V, et al. Robbins and Cotran's Pathologic Basis of Disease. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2005. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/119515236-4/801835407/1249/66.html#4-u1.0-B0-7216-0187-1..50011-0--cesec92_600. Accessed Feb. 6, 2009.
  10. Arsenic toxicity exposure pathways. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/arsenic/exposure_pathways.html. Accessed Feb. 6, 2009.
  11. Common questions about diet and cancer. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_3_2X_Common_Questions_About_Diet_and_Cancer.asp?sitearea=PED. Accessed Feb. 6, 2009.
  12. Food Groups to Encourage. In: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 6th Edition. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office; 2005. http://www.health.gov/DietaryGuidelines/dga2005/document/html/chapter5.htm. Accessed Feb 6, 2009.
  13. Premalignant and malignant nonmelanoma skin tumors. In: Habif TP. Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy. 4th ed. New York, N.Y.: Mosby; 2004. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/119515236-5/0/1195/157.html?tocnode=51442435&fromURL=157.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-01319-8..50023-6_2588. Accessed Feb. 6, 2009.

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April 2, 2009

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