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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
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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

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