Signs and Symptoms of Basal Cell Carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC), also known as basal cell skin cancer, might not cause bothersome symptoms until it has grown quite large. At this point, symptoms might include itching, bleeding, or pain.

But if you know what to look for, you can spot signs of basal cell skin cancer when it’s still small and treatment is more likely to be successful.

General signs and symptoms of skin cancer

Not all skin cancers look the same. In fact, skin cancers can show up in many shapes and sizes. Sometimes they might even look like noncancerous skin conditions. It’s important to check your skin regularly and ask your doctor about any of these possible signs of skin cancer:

• A new mole, spot, or bump on the skin that’s growing or changing in shape or color
• A sore that bleeds and doesn’t heal after several weeks
• A rough or scaly red patch, which might crust or bleed
• A wart-like growth
• A mole with an odd shape, irregular borders, or areas of different colors

Signs and symptoms of basal cell carcinoma

Basal cell cancers usually develop on areas exposed to the sun, especially the face, head, neck, and arms, but they can occur anywhere on the body.

In people with lighter skin tones, BCC can appear as:

• Small, pink or red, translucent, shiny, pearly bumps, which might have blue, brown, or black areas
• Pink growths with raised edges and a lower area in their center, which might have abnormal blood vessels spreading out like the spokes of a wheel
• Flat, firm, pale or yellow areas, similar to a scar, showing only slight changes from normal skin
• Raised reddish patches that might be itchy
• Open sores, which might have oozing or crusted areas, that don’t heal, or that heal and then come back
• Areas of the skin that are especially fragile and bleed easily

In people with darker skin tones, BCCs are less common. When they do occur, they often have many of the same features, such as being translucent or shiny, or having raised edges, although they are often darker in color.

Some BCCs might look different from these descriptions, so it’s important to see a healthcare provider if you have any new or changing skin growths, sores that don’t heal, or other areas that concern you.