Introduction
The basalioma is also called basal cell carcinoma. It is a form of skin cancer that originates from the lowest layer of the skin. In contrast to the malignant black skin cancer (malignant melanoma), in which the pigmented cells of the skin are affected, the basal cell carcinoma is called semi-malignant.
A basal cell carcinoma is also called a light or white skin cancer. The most common areas affected by a basal cell carcinoma are those that are exposed to the sun a lot, such as the face. Like most cancers, basal cell carcinoma can spread to surrounding tissue. However, metastases are very rarely formed.
Frequency of basal cell carcinoma of the face
The basal cell carcinoma of the face accounts for about 80% of all basal cell carcinomas. It mainly affects older people over 60 years of age. However, younger people are increasingly suffering from skin cancer, as visits to solariums and travel to countries with strong sunlight are on the increase. Every year, about 100,000 people in Germany are diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma. Overall, men develop the disease more frequently than women.
Symptoms of a basal cell carcinoma of the face
First, nodules form in the skin at the affected area. A thickening can then be felt here. At the edge of this thickening, fine red veins called telangiectasias are increasingly visible.
In the course of the disease, a glassy tumour often develops, which shows a bulge of the skin. This form of skin cancer is called a nodular basal cell carcinoma. There are also several other forms of basal cell carcinoma.
Some types resemble the appearance of a scar, others can look like an encrusted wound. Some grow deep, others remain more superficial. Most of them show the typical red veins at the edges, but there are also species where these are missing.
A hardening can usually be felt in all forms, only the external appearance is different. As a rule, a basal cell carcinoma of the face does not cause any discomfort apart from the cosmetic impairment. There is no pain or itching.
Where does the basal cell carcinoma of the face occur?
A basal cell carcinoma usually occurs as a result of an excessive influence of sunlight over decades. The risk of its occurrence increases with the amount of ultraviolet light absorbed. For this reason, a basal cell carcinoma of the face most often occurs in those areas that are particularly exposed to sunlight.
These are the forehead, nose, ears and lips. These areas of the face are therefore also called “sun terraces”. For people who spend a lot of time in the sunlight for professional reasons, such as sailors, fishermen or gardeners, basaliomas most frequently occur in the above-mentioned areas of the face.
However, a basalioma can basically occur anywhere on the face, so that a complete examination of the entire skin is necessary to detect or rule out the disease. A basalioma occurs particularly frequently on the nose. Since this protrudes in relation to the rest of the face, it is exposed to particularly high UV exposure in sunlight.
In addition to a basal cell carcinoma, other consequences of excessive sunlight, such as sunburn, are particularly frequent or pronounced on the nose. In addition, this part of the face is often left out when sunscreen is applied, which in the long term also increases the risk of developing a basal cell carcinoma on the nose. In general, people with a larger or more protruding nose are more at risk with the same skin type than those with a smaller nose.
In general, a basal cell carcinoma can develop in all areas of the face and thus also in the eye. The area above the eye is more frequently affected, as the UV light of the sun is usually more intense there. However, all other skin areas around the eye can also be affected. A special feature of a basal cell carcinoma of the face in the area of the eye is the treatment, because surgical removal is often more complex there and it can be difficult to maintain the required safety distance if the basal cell carcinoma is very close to the eye. However, if the diagnosis is made in time, the treatment is successful in most cases.
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