Basal Cell Carcinoma

Depending on the appearance of the skin lesion, your healthcare provider might immediately suspect a basal cell carcinoma diagnosis. To confirm the diagnosis, your provider will complete a physical exam and ask you questions about your symptoms, including:

• When did the lump or lesion appear on your skin?
• Did the lesion change in size?
• Does the lesion look different today from when you first noticed it?
• Is the lesion painful or itchy?
• Have you had a skin cancer previously?

What tests diagnose basal cell carcinoma?

After a physical exam, your provider might offer tests to confirm a diagnosis, which could include:

• Skin biopsy: Your provider will remove a piece of the affected skin area (lesion) to examine it under a microscope.
• Imaging tests: It’s extremely rare for basal cell carcinoma to spread throughout your body. If your healthcare provider suspects your cancer has spread elsewhere in your body, they might perform an MRI or a CT scan to detect cancer in lymph nodes or internal organs.

Your provider will determine the stage of your diagnosis after providing a physical exam and reviewing the results of your tests. Qualifiers to determine the stage includes:

• Identifying the size of the lesion (tumor) and determining if it grew deeper into your tissues.
• Looking for signs of cancer in your lymph nodes.
• Checking other parts of your body to see if cancer spread (metastasized).
• Measuring the size, shape and location of the lesion and recording the speed of its growth.