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Skin Cancer
Approximately one million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed this
year in the United States. The most common type of skin cancer, called
basal cell carcinoma, makes up about 80 percent of these new cases. Squamous
cell carcinoma makes up about 16 percent and melanoma 4
percent. These cancers get their names
from the type of cell in the skin that makes up the cancer. (basal cell,
squamous cell, melanocyte)
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of
skin cancer and is almost always limited to the skin. It can appear as
a smooth pink or skin colored bump on the skin. It may have a crust and
may bleed. In its superficial form, it can appear as a red or pink scaly
spot.
Squamous cell carcinoma when caught early can be
easily cured. If left untreated squamous cell carcinoma can spread to
the lymph nodes and other parts of the body. Squamous cell carcinoma can
appear as a red scaly raised spot that may or may not bleed.
Treatment:
If found early and treated appropriately, both basal cell carcinoma and
squamous cell carcinoma have a greater than 95 percent cure rate. Most
basal and squamous cell carcinomas can be easily treated with various
methods including curettage (scraping the tumor off the skin) and electrodessication
(charring the base of the tumor on the skin), excision (cutting the tumor
from the skin), or Mohs micrographic surgery (excising the tumor and checking
the margins while the patients waits in the office). The choice of treatment
usually depends on the location of the tumor and the aggressiveness or
likelihood of spread. Superficial skin cancers can often be treated with
curettage and electrodessication. Mohs
Micrographic Surgery is often reserved for more aggressive tumors
or those located on the face near the eyes, nose, lips and ears.
Find
out more about skin cancer
Find out more about Mohs
Micrographic surgery
Melanoma
Melanoma is a more aggressive type of skin cancer which can potentially
spread inside the body. If detected early, surgical treatment can cure
the disease. A melanoma usually appears as a dark spot on the skin but
some melanomas lack color and can appear smooth and pink or white. Melanomas
can occasionally arise from an existing mole, so a change in any mole
should be evaluated by a physician. Melanoma can spread to the lymph nodes
and other organs of the body, so early detection and treatment is critical
Treatment of melanoma requires complete removal of the tumor on the skin
as well as a margin of normal skin around the tumor. Depending upon the
depth of the tumor patients are sometimes sent to a surgical oncologist
for further lymph node studies. Patients with a history of melanoma should
see their dermatologist as instructed or at least once a year. People
who have a blood relative with a history of melanoma should have a skin
exam to check for any abnormal lesions. A positive family history is one
of the risk factors for developing melanoma. Other risk factors include:
previous melanoma, history of greater than 5 blistering sunburns during
childhood, fair skin, presence of many unusual looking or large moles
on the body, and excessive exposure to sunlight or tanning salons.
Find
out more about melanoma
Signs of skin cancer that should alert you to see
a dermatologist include, any new lesion on the skin, mouth, or nail that
bleeds, grows rapidly, hurts, changes color or appearance, develops a
scab or otherwise bothers you. Any existing mole or lesion on your skin
that exhibits these changes should also be evaluated. Because there are
so many normal lesions that occur on the skin, new spots don't always
mean skin cancer. The best course is to have your skin examined by a physician
if a new growth occurs.
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