According to Mayo Clinic, basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most easily treated and least likely of all skin cancers to spread (metastasize), but it has a high recurrence rate that requires close monitoring.
In General
Basal cells exist in the epidermis (skin surface). Basal cell cancers occur anywhere on the body but generally involve areas frequently exposed to sunlight.
Primary BCC
"Primary" typically describes the initial tumor site or source of metastatic cancer. Regarding BCC, one rare form (basosquamous) can metastasize, but it otherwise does not generally spread in this fashion.
Recurrent BCC
Recurrent tumors may develop at the initial site from cancer cells left behind during treatment. An entirely new tumor classified as the same cancer is also "recurrent." Mayo Clinic notes that BCC has a very high recurrence rate, even showing up at sites of previous, successful removal.
Treatment
Physicians use topical treatments (such as liquid nitrogen) and varying stages of surgical excision (from scraping away a small tumor to deeply cutting away the tumor and surrounding tissue) to remove BCC. Recurrent BCC is typically treated with some form of surgical excision.
Followup
Your physician will likely schedule you for regular skin exams to monitor for recurrence and supply you with information on what to watch for when doing routine self-exams at home.
Tags: high recurrence, high recurrence rate, Mayo Clinic, recurrence rate, surgical excision
