Basal cell carcinoma is the most common, yet least harmful type of skin cancer. It commonly appears as a small, pearly white growth with a waxy texture. It can also appear as a brown or flesh-colored patch of skin that grows over time. In time the bump may bleed and develop a crust. Some BCC are pigmented while others especially on the non facial skin appear as red patches sometimes confused with psoriasis. There is a uncommon type called a sclerotic BCC wich appears like a scar on the face without a history of trauma. Although basal cell carcinoma rarely metastasizes and spreads to other parts of the body, it can be very destructive to skin tissue, often causing sores that bleed and don’t heal easily. Basal cell carcinoma is usually caused by sun damage. Chronic sun exposure and sunburns at an early age greatly increase the chances of developing this condition as an adult. There are also genetic factors that permit the tumors to develop. (New drugs that block a pathway called hedgehog have been developed for extreme cases.) For example, people who have ulcers, thermal burns and other non-healing wounds have an increased risk of basal cell carcinoma. Individuals who are immunosuppressed, such as those who have recently undergone kidney or heart transplants, have an increased risk of developing basal cell cancer, and an even higher risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma.