title: Basal cell carcinoma does metastasize.
abstract: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) rarely metastasizes. However, this unfortunate outcome can occur, usually in neglected tumors. We report a 52-year-old man with a BCC on the left chest that enlarged and then ulcerated over a 6-year period. Metastasis of the tumor to lymph nodes in the left axilla resulted, but the patient remains free of disease 24 months after wide excision, lymph node dissection, and local radiation therapy to the axilla.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, VA Medical Center San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Doruk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ozgediz
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Otero
authors.forename: Z Laura
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Tabatabai
authors.forename: Carlos U
authors.initials: CU
authors.lastname: Corvera
mesh_terms: D001365:Axilla; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000150:complications / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015580:Mohs Surgery; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012074:Remission Induction; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000209:etiology; D013909:Thorax; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed