Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T03:59:18.967Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Basal cell carcinoma: update on management

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 June 2006

Polly Buchanan
Polly Buchanan
Affiliation:
Consultant Nurse in Dermatology, Galderma UK
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Summary

Skin cancer represents a significant health problem in the white adult population. Nurses have a responsibility in health promotion and disease prevention for patients at risk of developing the most common form of skin cancer, the basal cell carcinoma (BCC).

BCC is managed using a combination of primary and secondary disease prevention strategies. These are education and screening of at-risk individuals in the community. Self-screening within the home, as well as opportunistic screening by health professionals, is deemed the most cost-effective strategy in the UK. Nurses, therefore, have a responsibility to educate patients about sun awareness, sun protection and early recognition of cancerous or pre-cancerous lesions. A number of treatment options are available for basal cell carcinoma with the decision to treat based on clinical appearance, histological examination, previous medical history and patient choice. Nurse, through the use of patient group directions and prescribing, can help to ensure the most appropriate treatment for individual patients.

Keywords

Skin cancerbasal cell carcinomaskin protectionnon-invasive treatmenteducation
Type
Focus On
Information
Nurse Prescriber , Volume 1 , Issue 9 , September 2004 , pp. 1 - 10 , e176
Copyright
© 2006 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Cancer Research UK incidence. UK London: CRUK; 2004.
Cancer Research UK malignant melanoma. London: CRUK; 2004.
Department of Health. The NHS Cancer Plan. London: The Stationary Office; 2000.
Williams HC. Dermatology: health care needs assessment. In: Stevens A, Raftery J, editors. The epidemiologically based needs assessment reviews, Second series. Oxford: Radcliffe Medical Press; 1997. Chapter 1, pp. 14–15.
Schober-Flores. The sun's damaging effects. Dermatol Nurs. 2001; 13 (4): 279–86.Google Scholar
Buchanan P. Basal cell carcinoma. Help yourself series, No. 28. Southampton: Wessex Cancer Trust; 1999.
Marks R. Sun and the skin. London: Dunitz; 1995.
Menaker G, Chiu D. Basal cell carcinoma. In: Sober A, Haluska F, editors. Skin cancer – American Cancer Society atlas of clinical oncology. London: BC Decker; 2001.
Buchanan P. Skin cancer. Update Professional Nurse. 1998; 13 (5): 305–9.Google Scholar
Buchanan P. Skin cancer. Nurs Stand. 2001; 15 (45): 45–52.Google Scholar
Cancer Research UK. Sunsmart Campaign. www.cancerresesearch.org/sunsmart/ (Last accessed 26 April 2004c)
All Party Parliamentary Group on Skin. Report of the enquiry into skin cancer services in the UK. London, APPGS; 2003.
British Association of Dermatologists. Guidelines for the management of basal cell carcinoma. London: BAD; 1999. www.bad.org.uk/guidelines.
Buchanan P. Prescribing in practice: how it works. In: Courtenay M, editor. Independent and supplementary prescribing: an essential guide. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge; 2004.
Irvine A. Action on dermatology – towards further improvements. Dermatol Nurs. 2003; 2 (3): 29 www.modern.nhs.uk/action-on.Google Scholar
BNF 44 British Medical Association and Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain British National Formulary. London, BMA and RPSGB 2002. 13.2.2, pp. 542–546.
Horn M, Wolf P, Wulf HC, et al. Topical methyl aminolaevulinate photodynamic therapy in patients with basal cell carcinoma prone to complications and poor cosmetic outcome with conventional treatment. Br J Dermatol. 2003; 149: 1242–9.Google Scholar
Morton C. Methyl aminolevulinate (Metvix®) photodynamic therapy – practical pearls. J Dermatol Treat. 2003;14 (Suppl 3):23–6.Google Scholar
Rhodes LE, Enstrom Y, Groves R, et al. Photodynamic therapy using topical methyl aminolevulinate vs. surgery for nodular basal cell carcinoma: results of a multicentre randomised prospective trial. Arch Dermatol. 2004; 140: 17–23.Google Scholar
Brown SB. The role of light in the treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer using methyl aminolevulinate. J Dermatol Treat. 2003;14 (Suppl 3):11–4.Google Scholar
Foley P. Clinical efficacy of methyl aminolevulinate (Metvix®) photodynamic therapy. J Dermatol Treat. 2003;14 (Suppl 130):15–22.Google Scholar