Natural Remedies for Basal Cell Carcinoma: Safe & Effective Options

I had a small BCC (basal cell carcinoma) on the bridge of my nose for 5 years. It looked like a small brown scab. It would just stay there for months, unless I pealed it off ... in which case it would bleed and form a new scab. Nothing would take it away, until I began trying apple cider vinegar. I dipped a small, flat, cotton oval pad (the kind used to remove makeup) into apple cider vinegar, and I placed the pad on the bridge of my nose. I left the soaked pad on my nose for 20 minutes a day. Slowly, the small scab-looking BCC started to fade, leaving a bumpy, pink lesion underneath.

At about the 4th week of treatment, the pink lesion seemed to suddenly become wider. I was frightened, until I read that BCC's can actually run deeper and wider than their surface appearance: BCC's can have deeper tentacle-like structures underneath their surface. Unless all of these "tentacles" of the BCC are removed, the cancer will grow back. So I continued applying the ACV-soaked pads to the bridge of my nose.

By the 7th week of treatment, the bumpy pink lesion flattened out. By then it looked like flat new skin had completely replaced the BCC. Nevertheless, I continued another week of treatment. It looked like the BCC was actually gone, after only 8 weeks! Since then, I have not applied apple cider vinegar to the area, and the BCC has never returned!

Update: May 9, 2017

Although the apple cider vinegar seemed to completely get rid of my BCC, it started to regrow very slowly like a scab three months later (Jan 2017). This time, I did not retreat the BCC with apple cider vinegar. I just ignored it and went on with my life, since it was still very small. However, by April, I decided to try a different treatment. Since I had read that cancers feed off sugar, I began a ketogenic diet (no sugar and no carbs) to try and see if I could starve out the cancer. Within a week, the BCC started to shrink, and within a month the BCC was completely gone! So I have decided to remain on the ketogenic diet for the rest of this summer, just to make sure the cancer does not return. Meanwhile, I have discovered another benefit of the ketogenic diet ... my psoriasis has cleared up!

Well it's been an excruciating and disfiguring but ultimately victorious four months for me.

It started with an itchy red bump at the left side of my nose - it would clear scab over but wouldn't heal. I remembered my parents had BCC and used an ointment to treat it, and so here I arrived at my go-to site looking for a symptom set and natural remedy.

I treated the bump with H2O2 quite successfully within 2 weeks, but noticed there were other itchy bumps and inflamed spots and so I dug those up with H2O2. They were bigger and deeper. And took longer to heal. My face was on fire. Sometimes the lesions would close over but I could tell from the remaining surrounding inflammation and the tenderness or sharp pain that they were not fully "excavated". I would dig in a little bit with the H2O2 and yup - still there.

After about eight weeks I had cleared areas on about 60% of my face, but the last 40% was just agony. I felt like I was chasing this thing all over my face - no sooner had I cleared a pocket than one just a centimeter away would start to inflame and itch, and a light rub with H2O2 would show a large area of abnormality.

The scabbing and peeling was, I gotta say, monstrous. I haven't had this kind of skin since my acne-infested teens.

I felt like I was missing something.

I read up on oil of oregano to see if it was effective against BCC. Yes, it is. Also coconut oil. Yup that too. I began to treat the most stubborn open lesions with oregano oil and within a week, saw improvement.

I began to reflect on what I know about H2O2, oil of oregano and coconut oil.

First of all - H2O2. If you watch any science youtube content, it talks about how it "explodes" mico-organisms. These are living things that are super-oxygenated and just go "poof" and create the foam. And I was thinking, wait a minute. The BCC cell is abnormal - but WHY is it abnormal? Sure it has sun damage. There's something wrong with its functioning. But H2O2 doesn't make a healthy cell foam. So is there something inside the BCC cell that explodes?

Then I thought about oil of oregano. It is effective against three things: viruses, bacteria and fungi. Why would it be effective against a malfunctioning skin cell? It is neither a bacteria, nor a virus nor a fungus. UNLESS one of those things is living rent free inside the cell. THEN maybe there's a reason why it might kill the cell, or the thing inside it. if it exists.

Then I looked at coconut oil. Is it a fungicide? Why yes it is. It's used as part of treatment against a candida overgrowth. Also I looked at various remedies - the ketogenic diet for instance inhibits the proliferation of candida albicans.

Then I looked at the BEHAVIOUR of this thing, and it was behaving like a plant. You know when you cut off a small outgrowth of a plant, suddenly it responds with a burst of energy and branches out in all directions from the injured part?

I started with a tiny speck on one cheek and within eight weeks my face was covered in weeping lesions, as new spots grew out next to the healed ones.

So I put 2 and 2 together and thought - OK. What if this is a kind of fungus? Some kinds of fungus only grow on bread. Others only grow on toenails. What if there's a KIND of fungus that only grows in sun-damaged skin cells? Mybe we don't know what t is, but why are antifungal treatments so effective against BCC?

So. I started to treat the remaining open lesions with over-the-counter clotrimazole. Within a week, lesions that had been open for six weeks were closed, healed over, and non-inflamed.

I began to treat the small bumps that were arising next to the healed lesions directly with clotrimazole, without opening them up with H2O2. I opened one or two just to be certain, though. Within a week, they had disappeared, but the skin that was sloughing off showed circular pit-shaped "holes" where a fungus had once existed.

So now I'm moving on to some itchy bumps under some of my sun spots on my arms and torso.

Today I had an experience where I was swimming in the sea and there are small fish that will come and nip at your skin. It's ticklish and hilarious. But one was attacking some part of my foot, really giving it a kind of "tearing" effort. I was like "Whoah little dude. What the heck do you see here?" I put my finger to the spot and it was a tiny, almost imperceptible bump. Later I sterilized the area and gave it a good rub with H2O2 and what do you know? It foamed like a champ. Made me wonder what kind of spectrum these little fish actually see. I mean, it was invisible to the eye, barely perceptible to the touch, but that little fish saw "DINNER".

ANyway, that's my story. I hope it helps someone.

Hi, I am Australian (skin cancer capital) and a medical scientist. I have had about 60 BCCs since age 18, now aged 43. First treated through surgeries/ grafts/ MOHs, then Aldara for many years. Unfortunately before internet I didn't know of more natural options and was not told of Aldara's side effects.

If you have sun damaged skin there is good evidence now of usage of vitamin B3 and curcumin (both orally and topically), see Sydney Uni studies etc. They may also work on already established BCCs (even my very left brained doctor told me about trying these). My skin cancers have almost halted since I used these and Vit C in past years.

If you are 'told' to use Aldara, PLEASE google it! I have ended up with Parkinson's disease, unfixable vision loss, shingles/ postherpetic neuralgia (excruciating pain through 2/3 of my body), coeliac disease, skin rashes on chest and neck etc. As severe symptoms happened overnight on my last dose, I can connect the dots easily.

I tell the doctors as I don't want others to suffer, they all go into denial and cover it up (as they have prescribed it often for decades for BCC or genital warts). I post this info on medical websites and it does not get posted (they are 'selective'). I don't want others to suffer :) Better to get cut out if need (the surgeons are pretty good stitchers often! ) Otherwise use Aldara minimally. There are class action court cases.

In response to 7-1-10 Mike, I am a true believer of the hydrogen peroxide (h202). I had a nodule on my chest for about 2 months that looked like it was a zit. A white head never formed and I was concerned, because for about 2 years I noticed a 1/2 inch freckle (for a lack of better word) that had appeared on the same spot, and then this nodule showed up in the same spot. So I looked up skin cancers and it looked identical to the Basil cell carcinoma. I tried popping it and nothing happened, so I decided to use the h202. This nodule reacted by becoming about a silver dollar size hard spot, that raised a 1/4 of an inch, this soon turned into a scab. The first day of using the H202 I used it every half hour, the next day maybe 4 x a day for about a week. Then I stopped using it and allowed it to heal, by putting neosprin on it. The scab is gone, and the skin looks almost totally healed. It has a slight dry patch. I'm going to continue the neosporin, until the dry patch is gone, and then I think I'm going to see if the h2o2 reacts again in that area.

During the use of the h202, I did notice some slight stinging, off and on, and that it itched. I also read that a vitamin c soln was good for BCC. All I had was a vitamin c tablet, that I let dissolve, and I did use that paste some. (not sure if that helped any, but I did use it a couple days before I started the h202. ) I do believe in prayer and I prayed a lot. I also believe the scripture that says, "My people perish for lack of knowledge. " and I feel God allowed me to find these websites, and He gave me this wisdom. Thank you, Jesus!

HYDROGEN PEROXIDE

Weird growths inevitably appear on all of us as we age. Cancerous or not, these growths are probably unhealthy and can be removed with HP. Soak any suspicious spot with HP a couple of times a day for about a week and moisturize with coconut oil.

Continue this process until no visible signs of the spot are apparent above or below the skin. Atypical growths with lingering roots usually reappear again later, so repeat this cycle.

Occam's razor: The simplest solution is more likely to be the case when compared to a complex one.

I had my first basal cell on my chest which a dr cut out and left a big scar. It came back so I used apple cider vinegar to clean the area and allowed it to sit on the basal cell which at times burned but nothing intolerable. I then mixed baking soda, vitamin c crystals and a little water to dissolve the crystals. The site grew into a half heart shape, turned black, crusted, and eventually closed in about 3 weeks. My husband made me go for a biopsy because he doesn't believe in my "witch doctoring" as he calls it. Biopsy clear 😊.

I got another one above my lip and along my hairline. I treated them the same and again my husband made me biopsy. All clear! I told him I healed 3 so I will not biopsy any more because it is 2 cuts, 1 to diagnose and 1 to prove to him it is clear. He is very cautious because he had one on his back that required mohrs surgery so he couldn't believe I was able to cure my own. He then got another one on his back and gave me the opportunity to "Witch doctor" on him. It took about 2 months to cure his simply because he would vascilate between whether he believed it would work or not but I convinced him to at least let me try before his appointment and now it is all clear. 😊

IF you use the treatment faithful 2 times a day, it should honestly not take more than 2-3 weeks to clear up but I know depending on location, you can't walk around with a white paste.

Flush Niacin for skin cancers

I went to a dermatologist to have a weird fatty thing removed. Of course they tested it and it was benign. But, reason for this post, they always give you a going over, checking for other spots and he was amazed that I had none at my age and he mentioned sun screen. Told him I've never used it and I never burn or even get pink. Why? Because I've been taking the flush niacin for over 20 years. He said that this is a little known fact, that niacin protects from skin cancers but most people refuse to bear the flush. He also said that they are researching now about using niacin in people with aggressive skin cancers and are finding all good results. He then said that good diets are so very helpful, but most people can't be bothered. Niacin that causes flushing is a natural vitamin that we all need.

At only 500 mg/day, taken just before sleep, I hardly feel the flush anymore. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Vit C powder for basal cell skin cancer

I had a very small spot on my nose that started to bleed and wouldn't heal so I'm pretty sure it was a basal cell. I read that some people cured there bcc with Vit C. First I tried Sodium Ascorbate paste made with water and that was going slowly. Finally I went from eating dairy everyday (lactovegetarian) to a vegan diet and tried Ascorbic Acid powder in a paste with Aloe gel. Ascorbic acid will sting unlike sodium ascorbate. The second application it started to bleed and scab, like a small dark purple scab. I think I applied it one more time after that, then I left it alone. A week later the spot is healed with no scar. For almost 3 months that spot had a mind of its own, turning red or bleeding. Now finally it looks like normal skin. Cool!

My husband was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma on top of his head. I opened several 1000 mg capsules of vitamin C, added a drop of water to form a paste and applied it twice a day. Within a week it was gone.

BCC skin cancer removal: I had a multi-point BCC [Basil Cell Carcinoma] removed surgically from an area between my right eye and ear. A painful and nasty procedure with only local anestetic and skin graft leaving a circular scar about the size of a 50cent piece. I noticed that a part of the cancer may have been missed about 1yr later and my concerns grew after it hollowed out and expanded. I really didn't wish to have another op. so I tried a treatment that I was using for skin tags and moles. I placed about a table spoon of bi-carb soda into a small measuring cup and added a small amount of csstor oil BP to blend up to a fairly consistent paste, no lumps but firm enough so it wouldn't run when placed on my lesion. I covered this with fabric band-aids and replaced it before going to bed and in the morning. As these lesions tend to bleed and weep freely anyway it helped more so to have the band-aid coverings on not only to stop the bleeding and weeping running down my face but to also hold the paste on the lesion. Ugly and not fun for about 2 weeks then I realised the bleeding was slowing. After 3 weeks I removed the covering one day and noticed the affected area had flattened out and no more bleeding but the area below and around it was very red and sensitive as if the solution had been burning the skin. I allowed it to air for a day placing Hydrogen Peroxide all over the area. It scabbed up overnight and I continued to keep it covered for the next few days. The scab was trying to lift and I was a little concerned that all was in vain but once the scab came off it left a smooth almost completely healed spot. That was yesterday 4/07/08 and today even better. I slept on it last night without being covered and even showered today without concern and not a hint of problem thus far. I hope to leave a little more feedback over the next 2 weeks on progress and I sincerely hope this is of help to many others who have real concerns over BCC's.

Warning though, the compound stings a bit and the burning and redness of surrounds may be disconcerting but please try it for yourself. All the best to all with this ailment and I hope I have been helpful to you.

Thank you for your comment. I wish you well with your treatment. I had a birthmark on my calf muscle and 5 years ago it changed to be an aggressive stage 3-4 cancerous growth. It was removed and I was told 5 years to live, if I do not have my lymphatic system removed. I refused. One month ago a lump 2 inches from the removal could be felt, one inch below my skin. I applied 3% Peroxide now for 2 weeks. I dampened flat cotton, which is used for cosmetics and then used a large plaster to cover the area. The lump is at the surface on my skin now. The area is red with pimple like spots. There is a sensation, like after surgery. It does hurt but I can cope with this. I use Aloe Vera from the garden when my skin is too red. Your comment has given me some comfort to know it will take a little more time for a Nickle size growth to end. There are so many people suffering and not being informed of such remedies, that 'could' help them. Bless you all.

I had a scab on my scalp that was 12mm in diameter and very slowly getting bigger. My doctor referred me to a surgeon who did a punch biopsy. The results showed that it was BCC and the surgeon said that I would need surgical removal fairly soon. The wait for an appointment to see a surgeon for an evaluation was two months so that made it easy to decide to use an alternative treatment. Although I had Black Salve available, it felt too extreme to use on the thin flesh of my scalp so I chose instead to apply baking soda and coconut oil once a day, thanks to all the Earth Clinic reports.

After a week, it got a bit irritated with some small amounts of blood expressed. At that point, I cut away the hair in the area and started applying a Band-Aid to keep it from my pillow when I slept. In the shower every day I washed my hair normally and then applied pHisohex anti-bacterial face wash as an antiseptic and then rinsed that as well.

After eight weeks the bleeding stopped and signs of the BCC were disappearing. I kept applying the mix for four more weeks just in case. Now the hair is growing back well although it's a little lighter and the only way I can tell where it was it is a slight dent in my scalp. I stopped six weeks ago. In a follow-up visit to my doctor I had to show him twice where the BCC used to be.

FYI, I consulted three more surgeons who all said it needed to be cut out and one even said I'd need a skin graft (where no hair would grow) to cover the wound. At that point the (free) surgery wouldn't actually be available for another three months as I am a public patient with a low time-priority issue. None of them would discuss my self-treatment for legal reasons.

In retrospect, I'd try the Black Salve as a quicker treatment and possibly more certain cure. Thank you EARTHCLINIC!

Are you familiar with Curaderm? It is an eggplant based skin cancer (not melanoma) cream that is applied to the skin lesion. It enters the skin and starts eating the cancer cells. It continues to eat the skin cancer until there is no more and than it helps heal the skin back to normal. You do not dig out anything. You let the cream do its job. I believe it may be sold in the store on this site. But if not, it is very good. My husband had skin cancer on his bald head. He let the doctor take off some lesions and it left scars on his head. That is never a cure and sure enough, it returned. I bought the Curaderm online and dressed his lesions. It was a ugly looking wound for a few weeks but was kept covered. Slowly, we noticed it was closing up. The skin became normal with no scarring and no cancer ever returned.

Cured 3 BCC with ACV and baking soda with coconut oil.

The first time I removed my bcc, I used ACV soaked in a cotton ball and taped it to my BCC every night. After a few days it turned red and after about a month I was BCC free.

The second time I removed my bcc, it was close to my eyes, so I used baking soda with coconut oil 1 tbsp each mixed and made a paste and applied it to the area. After about 2 weeks I was bcc free. I had to deal with scabbing and redness but after that I'm bcc free.

Michael,

It is not sound logic to say if it didn't work for you that you don't believe in it that it won't work for anyone.
Unfortunately one of the worst things for your health is negativity.
Countless people on this forum have indeed had healing from a multitude of health issues by improving their pH.
I don't recommend that you read about them though and make your blood pressure rise.
I hope you find relief from your afflictions soon.
Peace,
Serene

Recently three moles on my face were biopsied as basal cell carcinoma. I've had skin cancers surgically removed in the past and have the scars to prove it. Thanks to earthclinic.com I found out about using iodine tincture to remove moles and skin cancers. Over the course of a few months I removed the last three skin cancer spots by dabbing iodine tincture on them 2 or more times per day. They became very dark and hard, eventually falling off. I used generic iodine tincture. It's been over one month since they've all healed. One spot still has a tiny scar, which may still go away, the other two don't. Thank you earthclinic! I love you all!

I have used hydrogen peroxide for skin cancers - mostly basil cells I believe, but perhaps for the more serious types, Squamous cell or even melanoma, as well. I really don't know for sure. Without question though some of the growths on my chest and on my face and on the side of my jaw bone went very deep and took many days of deep digging and bleeding to finally remove. Whenever the new skin following the scabbing turned white with reapplication of 3% h2o2, I knew the job was not finished and I had to go after the cancer again. But each time the area to be attacked was smaller and that told me not to give up, that I should persevere. Many times I thought I'd finally come upon a situation that would be my match, finally calling for medical intervention, but in each case, the cancer finally succumbed.

My latest success is on my nose. The latest scab falling off shows pink new skin with no trace of aberrant skin, and with no white skin forming with the application of h2o2. On my nose of course I was nervous and of course everyone had a comment over the month or so that it took to finally get rid of it. I did not dig deep as I did before, but just had patience, applying the h202 day and night. When a scab formed, each time I applied iodine several times to help the new skin beneath to form.

Hydrogen peroxide, slather it on until the cancer rises to the surface and looks irritated. Then use a mixture of eggplant/vinegar on the area. There are recipes for this mixture on here, basically, chop up the eggplant, put in a large jar and fill with acv. The mixture can be used after 3 days. Strain off the liquid to use and discard the eggplant. This will also be irritating and more cancer may surface in the area. I don't believe the cancer is spreading, rather it is bringing to the surface what was already there. The skin may turn red, scab over, and cause inflammation which is temporary. After this I use bitter almond oil in very small amounts, (and never to be used internally) on the cancer spots. This soothes the skin and keeps the cancer from further spreading. Do this once a day. It will also help prevent any scarring.

Look up eggplant peel effective antifungal. IMO it works because it is an antifungal, not "anti-carcinoma".

Just saying. I don't think that what they call BCC is cancer. I think it's a fungal infection.

I had a spot of skin cancer on the side of my face which was a strange shape and crusty. I began putting iodine on it every day. Now, the crustiness is gone and the mole is diminishing in size.

Hi Jim,

Sorry, I'm not familiar with the bloodroot approach but would like to learn more about that if you have time to elaborate?

Like you, I use the Petty Spurge sap for 3 days straight and - like you - find the 3rd day to be the most uncomfortable, albeit a mild discomfort when compared to the surgical "cut & stitch" alternative I endured multiple times over previous years!

I live in Western Australia and have found the plants thrive from the fall through to spring. They don't enjoy our long hot summers very much but seem to endure and self-seed regardless. A truly remarkable herb that seems to need very little care and attention once propagated. I've also had limited success collecting the sap and preserving it.

I did find a cottage business here that seems to have done this - although I think they may have added sorbolene to increase the volume.

Interestingly, I discovered this little plant after being prescribed a topical treatment called "Picato" by my dermatologist. One small tube allowed for 3 treatments and cost me A$140! It worked well, but I figured to treat all my BCC's over time would amount to thousands of dollars, so I researched the key ingredient in Picato and found it to be "ingenol mebutate" - and guess what the key component of Petty Spurge sap happens to be?

I know you can find the plant growing in the wild but as I was not well versed in identifying it, I located a reputable supplier and invested all of A$12 for a healthy batch of seeds. I now have a long term supply growing in my backyard.

About six or seven years ago I had a sore on my right elbow about the size of a quarter that would almost heal only to split open and start bleeding and oozing pulse again. I went to the doctor a couple of time, and each time he gave me some cream; I don't remember what but it did nothing. For two years I lived with this darn sore almost healing only to crack open and start the process all over again. One day out of frustration I put straight food grade peroxide on the sore, and it totally healed, and has never bothered me since. I don't know what that sore was but I joke with my daughter that I burned the darn thing off.