Skin Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
If you have a concern about a skin
lesion
don’t be alarmed and don’t hesitate!
These are easily diagnosed and
highly treatable right in the office.
Skin cancer is the
most common of all cancer types. There are more than 1 million
skin cancers (melanoma and non-melanoma) diagnosed each year
in the United States.
Most skin cancers are caused by too much exposure to the sun’s
ultraviolet rays, but some may come from artificial sources,
such as tanning beds
Finding possible
cancers of skin doesn’t require any x-rays or blood tests –
just your eyes.
Skin Cancers
There are 2 main
types of skin cancers – melanomas and non-melanomas.
Non-melanomas (includes basal cell and squamous cell cancers)
are the most common types of skin cancers.
Non-melanomas rarely spread elsewhere in the body and are less
likely than melanomas to be fatal.
Melanoma is much less common than basal cell and squamous cell
skin cancers, but it is far more serious. Melanoma, like basal
cell and squamous cell cancers, is almost always curable in
its early stages. But, it is much more likely than basal or
squamous cell cancer to spread to other parts of the body
Their Appearance
Basal cell
carcinomas often look like flat, firm, pale areas or small,
raised, pink or red, translucent, shiny, waxy areas that may
bleed following minor injury. They may have one or more
irregular blood vessels, a lower area in their center, and/or
blue, brown, or black areas. Large basal cell carcinomas may
have oozing or crusted areas.
Squamous cell carcinomas may look like growing lumps, often
with a rough, scaly, or crusted surface. They may also look
like flat reddish patches in the skin that grow slowly.
Squamous cell carcinoma is linked to too much exposure to the
sun.
Both of these types
of non-melanoma skin cancer may develop as a flat area showing
only slight changes from normal skin.
Actinic keratosis, also known as solar keratosis, is a
precancerous skin condition caused by too much sun exposure.
Actinic keratoses
are small (usually less than ¼ inch) rough spots that may be
pink-red or flesh-colored. Usually they develop on the face,
ears, back of the hands, and arms of middle-aged or older
people with fair skin, although they can arise on other
sun-exposed areas of the skin. People with one actinic
keratosis usually develop many more. Some can grow into
squamous cell cancers.
Melanomas: The “ABCD rule” is an easy guide to the usual signs
of melanoma. Be on the look out and notify your doctor about
any spots that match the following description:
A is for ASYMMETRY: One half of a mole or birthmark does not
match the other.
B is for BORDER: The edges are irregular, ragged, notched,
or blurred.
C is for COLOR The color is not the same all over and may
include shades of brown or black, sometimes with patches of
red, white, or blue.
D is for DIAMETER: The spot is larger than 6 millimeters
across (about ¼ inch — the size of a pencil eraser) or is
growing larger.
Other important signs of melanoma include changes in size,
shape, or color of a mole or the appearance of a new spot.
Some melanomas do not fit the ABCD rule described above, so it
is particularly important for you to notice changes in skin
markings or new spots on your skin.
Warning signs
 |
A sore that does not heal
|
|
|
A new growth
|
|
|
Spread of pigment from the border of a spot to surrounding
skin
|
|
|
Redness or a new swelling beyond the border
|
|
|
Change in sensation – itchiness, tenderness, or pain
|
|
|
Change in the surface of a mole – scaliness, oozing,
bleeding, or the appearance of a bump or nodule.
|
|
