What Is Basal Cell Carcinoma? Jill Biden Has Cancerous Lesions Removed

First lady Jill Biden has been diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma following the removal of at least two cancerous skin lesions.

Biden had three lesions removed during surgery at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Wednesday. The procedure was announced last week following the discovery of a suspicious lesion on the first lady's eyelid, which was found to be basal cell carcinoma after being removed.

The cancer was removed by Mohs surgery, a relatively common and low-risk operation that is usually done on an outpatient basis. Two additional lesions were discovered and removed while Biden was being examined by doctors on Wednesday, one of which was also determined to be a basal cell carcinoma.

"All cancerous tissue was successfully removed, and the margins were clear of any residual skin cancer cells," physician to the president Kevin O'Connor said in a statement shared on Twitter by Vanessa Valdivia, Jill Biden's press secretary. "[We] do not anticipate any more procedures will be needed."

"As anticipated, the First Lady is experiencing some facial swelling and bruising, but is in good spirits and is feeling well," he added. "She will return to the White House later today."

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer and one of the most curable types of cancer overall, due in part to the slow growth rate of the lesions. Basal cells are present in the outer layer of the skin, with carcinomas forming when cells grow abnormally, typically following exposure to ultraviolet radiation.

Although basal cell carcinomas are generally low risk because they rarely spread, the lesions can become "disfiguring and dangerous" if left untouched, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Lesions are typically found on areas of the skin that have been exposed to the sun and may appear "like open sores, red patches, pink growths, shiny bumps, scars or growths with slightly elevated, rolled edges and/or a central indentation," according to the foundation.

"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," said O'Connor. "They do, however, have the potential to increase in size, resulting in a more significant issue as well as increased challenges for surgical removal."

President Joe Biden also had multiple "localized, non-melanoma skin cancers surgically removed before he became president, according to a November 2021 report from O'Connor. The doctor suggested that the cancer may have been caused by Biden spending "a good deal of time in the sun in his youth."

Melanoma has the highest mortality rate of all skin cancers, although it only accounts for 1 percent of all cases. The second most common form of skin cancer is squamous cell carcinoma, which is considered to be generally curable, although somewhat more dangerous that basal cell carcinoma.

Newsweek has reached out to the White House and the National Skin Cancer Foundation for additional comment.