Overview

NCI Definition: The most frequently seen skin cancer. It arises from basal cells of the epidermis and pilosebaceous units. Clinically it is divided into the following types: nodular, ulcerative, superficial, multicentric, erythematous, and sclerosing or morphea-like. More than 95% of these carcinomas occur in patients over 40. They develop on hair-bearing skin, most commonly on sun-exposed areas. Approximately 85% are found on the head and neck and the remaining 15% on the trunk and extremities. Basal cell carcinoma usually grows in a slow and indolent fashion. However, if untreated, the tumor may invade the subcutaneous fat, skeletal muscle and bone. Distant metastases are rare. Excision, curettage and irradiation cure most basal cell carcinomas. [1]

Basal cell carcinomas most frequently harbor alterations in PTCH1, TP53, PTPRD, KMT2D, and ROS1 [2].

Most Commonly Altered Genes in Basal Cell Carcinoma

TP53 Mutation, TP53 c.217-c.1178 Missense, TP53 Missense, PTCH1 Mutation, and PTPRD Mutation are the most common alterations in basal cell carcinoma [2].

Top Alterations in Basal Cell Carcinoma

Biomarker-Directed Therapies

Significant Genes in Basal Cell Carcinoma

POLE +

PTCH1 +

Disease Details

Synonyms
BCC, Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Skin, Invasive Carcinoma c/w Basal Cell Carcinoma, Carcinoma c/w Basal Cell Carcinoma, Basal Cell Carcinoma of Skin, Basal Cell Cancer, Basal Cell Epithelioma, Basal Cell Skin Carcinoma, Skin Basal Cell Carcinoma
Parent(s)
Keratinocyte Carcinoma
Children
Penile Basal Cell Carcinoma, Salivary Gland Basal Cell Adenocarcinoma, Vulvar Basal Cell Carcinoma, Skin Signet Ring Cell Basal Cell Carcinoma, Skin Sarcomatoid Basal Cell Carcinoma, External Ear Basal Cell Carcinoma, Skin Nodular Basal Cell Carcinoma, Skin Clear Cell Basal Cell Carcinoma, Skin Adamantinoid Basal Cell Carcinoma, Anal Margin Basal Cell Carcinoma, Prostate Basal Cell Carcinoma, Skin Basosquamous Cell Carcinoma, Superficial Basal Cell Carcinoma, Skin Morphea-Type (Sclerosing) Basal Cell Carcinoma, Superficial Multifocal Basal Cell Carcinoma, Skin Fibroepithelial Basal Cell Carcinoma, and Scrotal Basal Cell Carcinoma
OncoTree Name
Basal Cell Carcinoma
OncoTree Code
BCC

References

1. National Cancer Institute. NCI Thesaurus Version 18.11d. https://ncit.nci.nih.gov/ncitbrowser/ [2018-08-28]. [2018-09-21].

2. The AACR Project GENIE Consortium. AACR Project GENIE: powering precision medicine through an international consortium. Cancer Discovery. 2017;7(8):818-831. Dataset Version 8. This dataset does not represent the totality of the genetic landscape; see paper for more information.

3. All assertions and clinical trial landscape data are curated from primary sources. You can read more about the curation process here.