Basal cell carcinoma


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Tests and diagnosis

By Mayo Clinic staff

Living With Cancer

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To diagnose basal cell carcinoma, your doctor may:

  • Examine your skin. Your doctor will examine the suspicious area on your skin. He or she will also look over the rest of your body for other unusual areas of skin.
  • Remove a sample of skin for testing. Your doctor may do a skin biopsy, which involves removing a small sample of the unusual skin for testing in a laboratory. This will reveal whether you have skin cancer and, if so, what type of skin cancer. The type of skin biopsy you undergo will depend on your situation.
Treatments and drugs Preparing for your appointment
References
  1. Habif TP. Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy. 5th ed. Edinburgh, U.K.; New York, N.Y.: Mosby Elsevier; 2010. http://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed July 30, 2013.
  2. Abeloff MD, et al. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2008. http://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed July 30, 2013.
  3. Basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/f_guidelines.asp. Accessed July 30, 2013.
  4. What you need to know about melanoma and other skin cancers. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/skin. Accessed July 30, 2013.
  5. Basal cell carcinoma. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/dermatology-a-to-z/diseases-and-treatments/a---d/basal-cell-carcinoma. Accessed July 30, 2013.
  6. Erivedge (prescribing information). South San Francisco, Calif.: Genentech USA, Inc.; 2012. http://www.erivedge.com. Accessed July 30, 2013.
  7. ToxFAQx for arsenic. Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=19&tid=3. Accessed July 30, 2013.
DS00925 Sept. 7, 2013

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