prognosis
Last edited 12/2020 and last reviewed 12/2020
The clinical course of BCC is unpredictable; it may remain small for years with little tendency to grow, it may grow rapidly, or it may proceed by successive spurts of extension of tumour and partial regression (1)
The prognosis for a patient with basal cell carcinoma is very good as about 90% will be cured:
- metastases is less than 1%
- recurrence rate similar with surgery and radiotherapy 0.1-15%
There are several factors that may have an effect on recurrence rate including histological sub-type, other histological features, site, and other patient and tumour features. These are described in the linked item.
Reference:
- Franchimont C et al. Episodic progression and regression of basal cell carcinomas. British Journal of Dermatology 1982;106(3):305-10.