Abstract

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) accounts for approximately 80% of all skin cancers, with approximately 1 million new cases diagnosed annually. These tumors remain locally aggressive with exceedingly low metastatic potential (<0.01%), and cure is achieved in the majority of cases with excision and primary closure.¹ Despite this, denial of illness is an established leading cause of delayed diagnosis and disease progression.² What typically begins as an innocuous, small lesion can be neglected and follow an indolent growth pattern. Enlarged surface areas expectedly lead to larger resections and greater detriment to form and function. Reconstruction, in turn, becomes more complex and increases the risk of repair, time commitment by both patient and surgeon, and overall expense. In this issue of the Southern Medical Journal, Wiznia and colleagues highlight the importance of early detection to minimize the morbidity of this locally destructive disease process.³