July 7, 2022 | By Mallory Yelenich-Huss, MD
Summer is here, and in Minnesota that means lake time, outdoor activities, and lots of sunshine. However, all of those fun activities can cause damage to our skin. Long-term accumulation of this damage can result in a variety of harm, including skin cancer!
There are three main types of skin cancer – basal cell, squamous cell, and melanoma. Prevention and early detection are key in all of them.
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer. It very rarely spreads, but it can become locally invasive – meaning it grows into surrounding tissues, including through blood vessels and bone. Basal cell carcinomas are usually round, raised lesions with a rolled border. They can be pink, red, pearly white, or purple-toned. They also can appear as a dip, a scaly patch, or a nonhealing area. Sometimes, they appear as a nodule the same color as the rest of the skin. Basal cell carcinomas most commonly occur on the head or neck. They are more common in fair-skinned individuals.
Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common skin cancer. The precancerous lesion associated with squamous cell carcinoma is an actinic keratosis and usually appears as a red, scaly, or crusty patch that never goes away and can bleed. Actinic keratoses can easily be treated in an office setting with freeze therapy. Sometimes they form growths called horns. They can grow very fast or very slowly, and they can appear in any skin-exposed areas, particularly the head, arms, and hands.
Melanoma is the third, and most dangerous, type of skin cancer. Melanoma can spread, or metastasize, to other parts of the body, including lymph nodes and organs. These skin cancers are more common on the torso or trunk of men and the legs of women. There are many different subtypes of melanoma, which can make it sneakier to detect.
Skin cancer identification can be difficult, but remembering the “ABCs” can help you know if your mole should be further evaluated!
A – Asymmetry – It’s not a round, even, equal mole.
B – Border – Uneven edges are notched or scalloped.
C – Color – The mole has multiple different colors or shades.
D – Dark/Diameter – Any mole that is very dark or larger than ¼ inch (6 mm) should be evaluated.
E – Evolving – The lesion is changing over time or has new symptoms, such as crusting or bleeding.
To learn more about skin cancer, or to see images of various types of skin cancer, visit https://www.skincancer.org or https://www.cancer.gov/types/skin.
Your primary care provider is the best person to check a worrisome mole. Your doctor may take a piece of the mole to biopsy, provide immediate treatment, or refer you to a specialist, such as a dermatologist or surgeon, for further management.
At Specialists in General Surgery, we treat a number of patients with skin cancers and would welcome the opportunity to serve you. In the meantime, enjoy the summer – and wear sunscreen!