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What is Basal Cell Carcinoma? FLOTUS Jill Biden has two cancerous lesions removed at Walter Reed

Basal cell carcinomas grow slowly, thus if found early, the majority of cases are treatable and cause no harm

WASHINGTON, DC: Three tumors, at least two of which were found to be cancerous, were removed from First Lady Jill Biden on Wednesday, January 11 during an outpatient procedure at Walter Reed National Military Hospital. White House doctor Kevin O'Connor reportedly said the FLOTUS had undergone a procedure to remove a tumor from above her right eye that was found to be basal cell carcinoma. 

Biden's left eyelid lesion was also removed by doctors, who submitted it for microscopic analysis to see if it was malignant. In addition, doctors removed a tumor they discovered on her chest that appeared to be basal cell carcinoma. Later, they were able to confirm it was a specific type of skin cancer. "All cancerous tissue was successfully removed," O'Connor stated as per Daily Mail. 

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The Bidens spent the day at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, where the 71-year-old first lady underwent the typical outpatient Mohs surgery to remove and analyze the lesions. 

The president went back to the White House by himself after spending nearly nine hours in the hospital. The first lady returned to the White House on Wednesday evening, on January 11, according to Jill Biden's press secretary, and was "doing well and in good spirits," reported Associated Press. As per the report, O’Connor stated she experienced "some facial swelling and bruising."

Mohs surgery is an outpatient procedure that removes tiny layers of skin and tests them for malignancy. Last week, Jill Biden's office stated that she would undergo the operation, citing a letter from O'Connor. Physician to the President, O'Connor, stated in his letter that "basal cell carcinoma lesions do not tend to spread or "metastasize" as some more serious skin cancers such as melanoma or squamous cell carcinoma are known to do." He stated, "They do, however, have the potential to increase in size, resulting in a more significant issue as well as increased challenges for surgical removal." 

What is Basal Cell Carcinoma?

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most prevalent type of skin cancer and the most common type of cancer overall. Each year, an estimated 3.6 million cases are diagnosed in the United States alone. BCCs are caused by the aberrant and uncontrolled development of basal cells, as per Skin Cancer.org. BCCs grow slowly, thus when found early, the majority of the cases are treatable and cause no harm. Knowing the origins, risk factors, and warning symptoms of BCC will help you identify it early.

BCCs can resemble open sores, red patches, pink growths, glossy lumps, scars, or growths with rolling edges, an elevated center, and/or red or pink patches. BCCs occasionally may ooze, crust, itch, or bleed. Lesions typically develop on body parts that have been exposed to the sun. BCCs are pigmented in around half of the people with darker skin (meaning brown in color).

Rarely do BCCs spread outside of the primary tumor location.

But these lesions have the potential to spread and become harmful and disfiguring. BCCs that are left untreated have the potential to spread locally, penetrate deeply, and obliterate bone, tissue, and skin. It is more likely that the BCC will return, possibly frequently, the longer one waits to get treatment.