Characteristics of basal cell carcinoma and relations of their development with the sonic hedgehog pathway

Abstract

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer in Caucasian race. In recent years, we have observed a growing number of patients with BCC. Furthermore, the incidence of BCC is rising in younger populations, which results in many scientific studies on its pathogenesis and new treatment. BCC is a locally malignant, slow-growing tumor, with low morality rates, although sometimes may be locally aggressive and leads to destruction of circumfluent tissues. The widely recognized risk factors for the BCC development are: low skin phenotype, elderliness, exposure to carcinogens, for example arsenic, oil or ionising radiation. But the most important risk factor is excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The fact that almost 80% of all BCCs are localized on sun-exposed skin, namely the head, neck, and hands, confirms the essential role of ultraviolet radiation in skin cancerogenesis. Genetic factors also play an important role in BCC development. In the last decade, the role of the sonic hedgehog pathway in their pathogenesis has been explored.