Electrodesiccation and curettage is the most widely employed method for removing primary basal cell carcinomas. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common cutaneous malignancy in humans. These tumors typically appear on sun-exposed skin, are slow growing, and rarely metastasize. Neglected tumors can lead to significant local destruction and even disfigurement. Although it is a quick method for destroying the tumor, adequacy of treatment cannot be assessed immediately since the surgeon cannot visually detect the depth of microscopic tumor invasion.

Using this procedure, the tumor is cut from the skin with a curette (a sharp, spoon-shaped tool). A needle-shaped electrode is then used to treat the area with an electric current that stops the bleeding and destroys cancer cells that remain around the edge of the wound. The process may be repeated one to three times during the surgery to remove all of the cancer.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Guidelines of Care, ED and C is best suited for primary lesions, but may be useful in some recurrent lesions. It is less effective in the cure of recurrent lesions that are in scar tissue, or in the cure of recurrent lesions that have indistinct margins. Selected low risk lesions (small, well-defined primary lesions with nonaggressive histology usually in non-critical sites) can achieve 5-year cure rates of up to 97% when treated with ED and C.

Curettage may be used alone or as the first part of a treatment plan that uses two or more procedures.