¿What is basal cell carcinoma?

“You’ve heard me talk about my basal cell carcinomas before. And I’m going to keep talking about them, if need be. If just one person remembers to put on sunscreen with a high SPF, I’m happy.”

Along with this message, actor Hugh Jackman shared a video on his social media, Twitter and Instagram, warning about sun damage and skin cancer and urging his followers to take care and use sunscreen.

The video shows Jackman with a bandage on his nose after he had two biopsies. "I just went to my doctor [...]. And she just saw little things, could be or could not be basal cells in her opinion. She doesn't know,” Jackman shared.

He added: “Summer is coming for those of us here in the Northern Hemisphere. Please wear sunscreen. It's just not worth it no matter how much you want to tan. Trust me, trust me, trust me.” Jackman, who is 54, was treated for basal cell carcinoma in 2013, 2014, and 2017.

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of nonmelanoma skin cancer. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, there were 1,198,073 new cases reported in 2020, representing 6.2% of all new cancer cases worldwide.

This type of cancer usually occurs on skin that is regularly exposed to the sun or another type of ultraviolet radiation. It is most common in people over age 50, although it can also occur in younger people who get a lot of sun exposure.

Another characteristic of basal cell cancer is that it almost always grows slowly. In the video, Jackman said, “This is all stuff that happened 25 years ago, it's coming out now,” while pointing at the bandage on his nose.

However, it rarely spreads to other parts of the body, and it is not as potentially harmful as other types of skin tumors, such as melanoma. 63,731 deaths from nonmelanoma skin cancer were reported in 2020.

Experts say that people are more prone to develop basal cell cancer if they have:

• Fair or freckled skin.
• Blue, green, or gray eyes.
• Blond or red hair.
• Overexposure to X-rays or other forms of radiation.
• Close relatives who have or have had skin cancer.
• Multiple severe sunburns in early life.
• Daily sun exposure for prolonged periods (such as with people who work outside).

Other risk factors include:

• Smoking.
• Having a weakened immune system; for example, from treatment with immunosuppressive drugs after an organ transplant.
• Having inherited skin disorders, such as nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome.
• Having had photodynamic therapy.

Sources: American Academy of Dermatology; National Library of Medicine; International Agency for Research on Cancer; World Health Organization; American Cancer Society.