Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing
Put on a broad-brimmed hat that shades your face and neckWear sun protective clothing that covers as much of your body as possibleSeek shadeWear wrap-around sunglassesApply SPF30+ broad spectrum water resistant sunscreen every two hours
PROTECT YOURSELF IN FIVE WAYS FROM SKIN CANCER

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC)

Fact sheet on basal cell carcinoma (BCC)

Basal cell carcinoma arises from the cells at the bottom (or basal) part of the outer layer of the skin.

Basal cell carcinoma:

  • is known as a non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC)
  • is the most common and least dangerous form of skin cancer
  • appears as a round or flattened lump or scaly area
  • is red, pale or pearly in colour
  • grows slowly, usually on the head, neck and upper torso
  • may become ulcerated as it grows
The 2002 National Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer Study1 estimated that:
  • around 256,000 people were diagnosed with BCC in 2002
  • 96 per cent of people with BCC were aged 40 years or older
Based on the age-specific incidence rates in 2002 and subsequent population change, it is estimated that 295,000 Australians will be diagnosed and treated for BCC in 20082.
In 2006, there were 410 deaths from non-melanoma skin cancer in Australia2.

For more information on types of skin cancer, see the Australasian College of Dermatologists website.

1 National Cancer Control Initiative 2003. The 2002 national non-melanoma skin cancer survey: A report by the NCCI Non-melanoma Skin Cancer Working Group for the state and territory cancer councils. Melbourne. NCCI.
2AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) and Cancer Australia 2008. Non-melanoma skin cancer: general practice consultations, hospitalisation and mortality. Canberra. AIHW.