Skin Cancer

Basal Cell and Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Diagnosis

Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are generally diagnosed and treated in the same way. When an area of skin doesn't look normal, your doctor may remove all or part of the growth. This process is called a biopsy and is the only sure way to detect cancer.

Doctors generally divide skin cancer into two stages: local, affecting only the skin, or metastatic, spreading beyond the skin. Because skin cancer rarely spreads, a biopsy often is the only test needed to determine the stage. In cases where the growth is very large or has been present for a long time, your doctor will carefully check the lymph nodes in the area. In addition, you may need to have additional tests, such as special X-rays, to find if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Knowing the stage of a skin cancer helps the doctor plan the best treatment.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated August 1, 2007