What You Need To Know About Skin Cancer

By Katina Miles, MD

Skin Oasis Dermatology

. https://www.skinoasisderm.com/

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What You Need To Know About Skin Cancer

If, despite using sunscreen SPF 30, you have developed a new growth or noticed changes in old ones, you should see a specialist in dermatology to evaluate your skin.
Each year approximately 700,000 people develop skin cancer, making it the most common malignancy. Ten thousand people die each year from skin cancer, mostly from melanoma. That means about one person every hour of everyday dies from melanoma.
Caucasians comprise most of the cancer cases with an incidence of 230 per 100,000 population, however 3 per 100,000 African Americans develop skin cancer. Although African Americans have a much lower incidence of skin cancer, 30% of these cancers are melanoma, the most aggressive and deadly type of skin cancer.
Several factors play a role in the development and progression of skin cancer. Sun is one of the most important factors, and one which we can best control. Since children, by the age of 15, have already received 50% of the sun exposure they will receive in a lifetime, methods of sun screening must be initiated at an early age.
The most common types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma, squamous carcinoma, and melanoma. Precancerous lesions such as actinic keratoses and dysplastic nevi, which may develop into squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma respectively, are also important to recognize.
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer. It presents usually as a pearly pint papule in sun exposed areas. It develops most often in the fifth decade of life, however, lesions can manifest at a much earlier age.
Squamous cell carcinoma, also developing in middle age, presents as a dry, reddish scaly patch in sun exposed areas. The lesion does not resolve spontaneously and when left untreated, usually ulcerates and bleeds. As mentioned earlier, squamous cell carcinomas may arise from actinic revatoses which appear subtly as rough pink areas approximately
1/4″ in size.
Unlike both basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma, which progress slowly and usually do not invade beyond local skin destruction, melanoma is well known to metastasize. Melanoma, which can develop in teenagers, ordinarily presents as a brown or black growth which can expand laterally and vertically. It is this vertical invasion which makes melanoma so deadly. While sun plays an important role in the development and progression of some melanomas, sun shielded areas also develop melanoma. For example, African Americans are most likely to develop melanoma on their palms or soles.
Melanoma can develop from normal skin, but in 40% of cases, it arises from pre-existing moles. This is why the evaluation of any pigmented growth is vital in the prevention and treatment of melanoma. To complicate things further, not all melanomas contain pigment, thus appearing pink. Still the cardinal signs asymmetry; border irregularity; color variation; diameter greater than 6 millimeters; and elevation are good gauges to monitor moles. Any change noted in these traits warrant a dermatologist’s examination.
Even though skin cancer is relatively common. Early detection and treatment often result in a cure.