Basalioma is cured completely with timely initiation of therapy.

Returning from a beach holiday, especially if the holiday was spent in countries with a hot climate, for many people is overshadowed by the appearance of skin neoplasms. Insufficient protection of the skin during high solar activity can lead to the development of a tumor on the skin, and among such neoplasms, basalioma, or basal cell skin cancer, is the leader in the incidence of occurrence. When a patient is treated with such a tumor, the diagnosis should be immediately clarified with the help of laboratory tests and, most importantly, the patient should be reassured that in the early stages the basalioma is most often completely cured.

 Basalioma refers  to skin tumor neoplasms, it is formed from the cells of the basal layer of the skin epithelium. Some experts consider basalioma a benign tumor because it develops very slowly and does not metastasize. Others call it basal cell skin cancer because basal cell carcinoma has most of the features of a malignant process:

• in the process of growth, it penetrates deep into the underlying tissues, including bone, and destroys them;
• is capable of recurring even after timely and properly administered treatment.

Most often, basal cell skin cancer affects people over 50 years of age, the frequency of patients visiting an oncologist for basal cell carcinoma is about 70% of all cases of skin cancer. Favorite places for localization of basalioma – this is the neck and face (eyelids, corners of the eyes, wings of the nose, nasolabial folds, upper lip, temples).

 Risk factors provoking the development of basalioma

The likelihood of developing basalioma correlates with skin type: it is most often detected in fair-skinned people.

The main causes and risk factors for basalioma on the skin:

• prolonged exposure to the sun;
• frequent or even occasional skin burns;
• exposure to carcinogens, including tobacco smoke;
• chronic skin diseases;
• constant skin trauma, old scars.

 Classification of basalioma and characteristic signs of the disease

International histological classification of basalioma recommends subdividing it into superficial multicentric, fibro-epithelial and sclerodermal.

Clinical forms of basal cell skin cancer:

• nodular-ulcerative;
• piercing;
• pigmented;
• sclerodermiformis.

The clinical picture of their development is very similar. A dense nodule of pink or red color with thinned shiny skin protrudes above the surface of the skin, which increases in size over time, acquires irregular outlines, ulcerates, a dense pearl-colored roller with rounded edges forms along the edges of the nodule, and telangiectasias appear on the surface of the nodule. Perforating basalioma is characterized by rapid growth and a higher destructive ability in relation to adjacent tissues than other forms. Pigmented and sclerodermiform basaliomas tend to scar.

Basaliomas, which are not characterized by infiltrating growth, but protrude above the surface of the skin and grow upwards – nodular and warty forms.

Squamous superficial basalioma, or pagetoid epithelioma – a multiple benign tumor that does not infiltrate the skin, and does not rise above it, is localized behind closed areas of the body and can develop for decades.

Cylinder – another multiple basalioma that develops on the scalp, is large and has a long growth process.

 Diagnostics, types of therapy and prognosis in the treatment of basalioma

The main method for diagnosing basalioma, in addition to dermatoscopic examination, is a cytological examination of a scraping from the surface of the tumor, the accuracy and information content of cellular analysis is about 98%.

For the treatment of basalioma, there are a number of methods, among which the doctor chooses the one that will be most effective in a particular case – depending on the size and shape of the basalioma, its location, the duration of the disease, the individual characteristics of the patient.

Radiation treatment of basalioma (X-ray therapy) is used in the initial stages of the disease.

Cryotherapy involves the destruction of the basalioma by freezing, which can be enhanced by ultrasound.

Drug therapy (local chemotherapy) of basal cell carcinoma consists in exposing it to small doses of cytostatic drugs (for example, cyclophosphamide), applications with methotrexate, fluorouracil.

Laser coagulation of basalioma is applied to small tumors.

Surgical excision of the tumor is used for small basaliomas, usually those that are not located on the face, including  including those that are located deep in the tissues and are not amenable to treatment in other ways.

Combined treatment is applied to tumors in stages T3 and T4, as well as in the case of recurrence of basalioma: the tumor is first X-rayed and then surgically excised.

The treatment prognosis for basalioma is favorable, although this tumor often recurs. Almost 80% of basaliomas can be completely cured, and in the case of a local and undeveloped form (less than 2 cm), a complete cure occurs in 100% of cases. With advanced forms of basal cell skin cancer, the destruction of bone tissue, including the bones of the skull, is possible, which greatly worsens the prognosis.