What Christie Brinkley's Skin Cancer Can Teach Us About Basal Cell Carcinoma

The spot she almost did not mention

On March 13, 2024, Christie Brinkley posted on Instagram that she had been treated for basal cell carcinoma. CNN and TODAY both reported the post. TODAY described the pictures she shared of a wound on her temple, stitched and bandaged.

The detail worth keeping is how it was found. She had gone with her daughter to a checkup. In her own words, quoted by CNN: "It wasn't my appointment so I wasn't going to say anything but at the VERY end I asked if he could just look at a little tiny dot I could feel as I applied my foundation." The doctor biopsied it there and then.

She wrote that the cancer was caught early and removed, and said she would now use SPF 30, long sleeves, and a wide-brimmed hat. That is her public account, and this page stays inside it.

The most common cancer, and the one nobody counts

NCI calls nonmelanoma skin cancer the most common cancer in the United States. Basal cell carcinoma is about three-quarters of it.

But it does not show up in the usual cancer counts. NCI explains why. Doctors are not required to report these cancers to registries, so no one can count them exactly. Using Medicare data, NCI estimates about 3.3 million people were treated for them in 2012. That is more than all other new cancer cases in the country put together. Even so, they cause under 0.1% of cancer deaths.

That gap, between how common it is and how rarely it kills, is the story of basal cell carcinoma.

What one looks like

Basal cell carcinoma starts in the basal cell layer, the bottom row of the epidermis, which is the outer sheet of skin. NCI says it is at least three times more common than squamous cell carcinoma in people with normal immune systems, and that it usually turns up on sun-exposed skin. The nose is the single most common site.

The classic look NCI describes is a raised bump that causes no symptoms. It sits above the skin around it, has a pearly sheen, and shows fine blood vessels called telangiectasias. It may open up in the middle.

One subtype behaves differently. The morpheaform type looks like a firm, scar-like patch, and NCI notes its edges are hard to see, which makes it harder to remove completely.

Slow, local, and worth removing

NCI's description is precise. These tumors grow slowly and rarely spread to distant organs. What they do instead is eat into nearby tissue. NCI calls them "locally destructive" and warns they can cause serious damage if left alone.

That is why a small pearly dot on a temple, a nose, or an eyelid is treated rather than watched. NCI lists the sites where the risk of the tumor coming back is highest: the central face around the eyes and nose, behind and inside the ear, the forehead, and the scalp.

How it is treated

NCI lists nine options for a tumor that has stayed put. Cutting it out and checking the edges. Mohs surgery. Radiation. Curettage and electrodesiccation, which means scraping the spot and burning the base. Freezing. Light-based therapy. Two creams, fluorouracil and imiquimod. And laser. NCI says these give recurrence-free rates of 85% to 95%, depending on which cases are picked.

Mohs surgery is worth understanding because it is common on the face. The surgeon takes a thin layer, examines the whole edge under a microscope while the person waits, and repeats until no cancer cells reach the margin. NCI describes it as a way to take the narrowest margin that still clears the tumor, preserving as much normal skin as possible. In a randomized trial of 374 people with face tumors, 2% came back at 30 months with Mohs and 3% with plain surgery. NCI reports that gap as too small to be meaningful. Mohs cost nearly twice as much. It suits tumors that have come back, and sites where a scar matters.

For the rare tumor that spreads or grows too far for local treatment, NCI lists hedgehog pathway inhibitors. Our page on basal cell and squamous cell skin cancer treatment goes through the choices.

What raises the risk

NCI lists these for nonmelanoma skin cancer:

• Long-term exposure to natural sunlight or to tanning beds
• A fair complexion — skin that freckles and burns rather than tans, light eyes, red or blond hair
• Actinic keratosis, a rough scaly patch caused by sun damage
• Past radiation treatment
• A weakened immune system, including after an organ transplant
• Arsenic exposure

NCI adds a line worth repeating: people of every skin color can get skin cancer.

On prevention, NCI is unusually honest. It says no one knows whether staying out of the sun, using sunscreen, or covering up lowers the risk of these cancers. The studies have not been done. Sunscreen does prevent sunburn and actinic keratoses. Skin doctors still advise it, along with shade at peak hours. Our guide to sun safety sets out the practical version.

When to get checked

Ask a clinician to look at any of these:

• A pearly or waxy bump with tiny visible blood vessels, especially on the face, ears, neck, or scalp
• A sore that bleeds, crusts, heals, and then breaks open again over weeks
• A flat, firm, scar-like patch that you cannot account for
• Any spot you can feel but barely see, as Brinkley described

Mention it at an appointment you already have. Our page on what to expect at a skin check covers how the exam works.

What this does not mean

• Basal cell carcinoma is not melanoma. The two behave very differently, and only a biopsy tells them apart.
• Early removal is not a guarantee. NCI notes that only half of recurrences show up within two years, and ten-year recurrence rates are about double the two-year rates.
• "Caught early" in one person's post says nothing about anyone else's spot.
• Sunscreen has clear benefits for sunburn, but NCI does not claim proof that it lowers nonmelanoma skin cancer risk.

Sources

• CNN, Christie Brinkley diagnosed with skin cancer — https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/13/entertainment/christie-brinkley-skin-cancer-wellness/index.html
• TODAY, Christie Brinkley says she's received treatment for 'early' skin cancer diagnosis — https://www.today.com/health/disease/christie-brinkley-skin-cancer-rcna143312
• NCI PDQ, Skin Cancer Treatment (Health Professional Version) — https://www.cancer.gov/types/skin/hp/skin-treatment-pdq
• NCI PDQ, Skin Cancer Prevention (Patient Version) — https://www.cancer.gov/types/skin/patient/skin-prevention-pdq

How this article was prepared

An AI-assisted editorial system helped prepare this page. No named medical reviewer has reviewed it unless one is listed.

The National Cancer Information Foundation publishes Cancer Explained. This page is for learning. It is not medical advice and does not suggest a test or treatment.

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