What Is Skin Cancer?
Skin cancer is the most common form of all cancers. More than one million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year alone. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common and least dangerous form of cancer while melanoma is the least common, but most dangerous.
A cancer simply means that a cell is replicating faster than it normally should. Most cells that make up the body divide and reproduce in an orderly manner at a set slow pace. This allows the body to grow, replace worn-out tissue, and repair injuries. If one of these cells is injured in some way (for example, by the sun) and becomes cancerous, it begins to replicate and divide much more quickly. With the cell dividing more rapidly, the body is unable to process all of the new cells and a mass forms. This mass of new cells is called a tumor. In some tumors, cells may break away from the mass, travel to other parts of the body and continue growing (metastasizing). Metastasizing is very rare in squamous cell carcinomas and basal cell carcinomas under two centimeters in width.
Skin Cancer Quick Facts
- Skin cancer and melanoma account for about 50% of all types of cancers diagnosed combined.
- Skin cancer is one of the more preventable types of cancer.
- More than 90% of skin cancer is caused by excessive exposure to the sun.
- Each hour, 1 person dies from skin cancer.
How often should you get a skin check?
| Once A Year |
• If no family or personal history of skin cancer exists
• If sun exposure is moderate with appropriate sunscreen use |
| Every 6 Months |
• If family history of skin cancer exists, but no personal history
•Regular exposure to sun and/or tanning beds without consistent sunscreen use |
| Every 3 Months |
•If personal history includes previous skin cancers |
What can you expect at your appointment?:
Your doctor will ask you to provide personal and family history regarding skin cancers. All particular spots you're concerned with will be examined and evaluated. A biopsy and laboratory test may be required for any suspicious lesions.
What kind of lesions should you be watchful of?:
You should look for moles that appear darker than other moles in the same area. Look for changes in shape, size, color (atypical). Also be aware of scaly red spots or pimples that haven't healed in a reasonable amount of time. You can also photograph suspicious lesions every month or so, especially if you have a personal or family history, and compare the photographs to see if any change has occurred.
What are the treatments for skin cancer?:
Treatment for skin cancers include removal by scraping, burning, freezing, radiation, traditional excisional surgery, and Mohs, or microscopically controlled surgery. Treatment of skin cancers depends on size and location of the cancer, patient's age, and whether or not one treatment has been tried, but failed. Mohs microscopically controlled surgery has the highest cure rate. Removal of the entire skin cancer without taking more skin than necessary is another advantage of Mohs over other removal techniques.
Mohs surgery is minor and performed under a local anesthetic injected into the area. Then, a small layer of tissue is removed and immediately processed into slides for viewing. When completed, your doctor will review the slides and make a map of any remaining tumor. This process allows your physician to remove all of the tumor and leave as much healthy tissue as possible. As the tissue is removed in very small, conservative layers, a successful procedure generally involves two to three stages of removal and slide creation.
This process of systematically finding and removing all the "roots" of the skin cancer, gives Mohs surgery its cure rate of 98-99%.
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