If you have a change on your skin, your doctor must find out whether or not the problem is the result of cancer. You will likely need to see a dermatologist, a specialist in the diagnosis and treatment of skin diseases.
Your doctor will check the skin all over your body to see if you have any other unusual growths.
Biopsy
If your doctor suspects a spot on your skin is cancer, you may need a biopsy:
- Your doctor will remove all or part of the skin that does not look normal.
- The sample will be sent to a lab.
- A pathologist checks the sample under a microscope.
- Sometimes it’s helpful for more than one pathologist to check the tissue for cancer cells.
- You may have the biopsy in a doctor’s office or as an outpatient in a clinic or hospital.
- The area being biopsied will be numbed so you won’t feel anything.
There are four common types of skin biopsies:
- Shave biopsy. The doctor uses a thin, sharp blade to shave off the abnormal growth.
- Punch biopsy. The doctor uses a sharp, hollow tool to remove a circle of tissue from the abnormal area. The tissue is then examined under a microscope.
- Incisional biopsy. The doctor uses a scalpel to remove part of the growth, which is examined for cancer cells.
- Excisional biopsy. The doctor removes the entire growth and some tissue around it. Ask your doctor when you can expect to hear about the results of your biopsy.
People with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop skin cancer. Risk factors vary for the different types of skin cancer.
In general, being exposed to too much sun and other types of UV radiation (tanning booths), is the leading cause of the most common skin cancers.
Sun facts
Sunlight can be reflected by sand, water, snow, ice and pavement. The sun’s rays can get through clouds, windshields, windows and light clothing.
In the United States, skin cancer is more common where the sun is strong. For example, more people in Texas than Minnesota get skin cancer. Also, the sun is stronger at higher elevations, such as in the mountains.
Risks for skin cancer
The risk factors for the three most common types of skin cancer are:
- Sunlight. Sunlight is a source of UV radiation. It’s the most important risk factor for any type of skin cancer, because the sun’s rays cause skin damage that can lead to cancer.
- Severe, blistering sunburns. People who have had at least one severe sunburn that results in blistering are at increased risk of skin cancer. Although people who burn easily are more likely to have had sunburns as a child, sunburns during adulthood also increase the risk of skin cancer.
- Lifetime sun exposure. The total amount of sun exposure over a lifetime is a risk factor for skin cancer. So, the more sun you’ve had, the greater risks you have.
- Tanning. Even people who tan well without burning have a higher risk of skin cancer because they have had more sun exposure during their lifetime.
- Personal history. People who have had melanoma, have an increased risk of developing other melanomas. Also, people who have had basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer have an increased risk of developing another skin cancer of any type.
- Family history. Melanoma and other skin cancers can run in families.
- Skin that burns easily. Having fair (pale) skin that burns in the sun easily, blue or gray eyes, red or blond hair or many freckles increases the risk of skin cancer.
- Certain medical conditions or medicines. Some medical conditions or medicines make your skin more sensitive to sun and therefore increase the risk of skin cancers.
Doctors encourage people to limit their exposure to sunlight. This includes:
- Sunlamps and tanning booths. Artificial sources of UV radiation, such as sunlamps and tanning booths, can cause skin damage and skin cancer.
- You are strongly encouraged, especially young people, to avoid using sunlamps and tanning booths.
- The risk of skin cancer is greatly increased by using sunlamps and tanning booths before age 30.
Life after being diagnosed with cancer will be different for everyone. Some people will have minimal disease and it will be a short chapter of their lives, while others will have a diagnosis that will change the course of the rest of their lives. Cancer diagnoses can change relationships, your routines, your work and home life. One thing is certain, no one person’s experience will be exactly the same. There are however, plenty of resources to learn about what life was like for other people, and what they did to achieve balance, maintain their health and personal life, keep peace of mind, and enjoy their lives with or after cancer.
Your experience with cancer will depend on the type of cancer you have, your choices of treatment and the lifestyle you lead. Be sure to speak with your Doctor about the side effects of your disease and the treatments you choose. Your Doctor will be able to consult with you on realistic lifestyle expectations.
Cancer always starts in the cells, which make up the tissue that is found in the skin and throughout the body. Cells have a life of their own – they grow and mature and eventually die off, at which point they’re replaced. Sometimes, though, something goes haywire – new cells might form even though the body doesn’t need them, and sometimes old or damaged cells don’t die off as they’re supposed to. When this happens, cells start growing wild. All the extra cells build up and form a mass of some sort that’s called a lump, growth a tumor.
Skin cancers are named for the type of cells that become malignant (cancerous). The three most common types of skin cancer are:
Melanoma.
- Melanoma begins in melanocytes (pigment cells), and it can develop on any skin surface.
- In men, it’s often found on the head, neck, or between the shoulders and the hips.
- Women often have melanoma on lower legs or between the shoulders and the hips.
- Melanoma is rare in people with dark skin. When it does develop in dark-skinned people, it’s usually found under the fingernails, under the toenails, on the palms of the hands or on the soles of the feet.
Basal cell skin cancer.
- Basal cell skin cancer begins in the basal cell (top) layer of the skin.
- It usually occurs in places that have been in the sun. So the face is the most common place to find basal cell skin cancer.
- In people with fair skin, basal cell skin cancer is the most common type of skin cancer.
Squamous cell skin cancer.
- Squamous cell skin cancer begins in squamous cells that are also in the top (epidermis) layer of skin.
- This is the most common type of skin cancer found in people with dark skin, and it’s usually found in places that are not in the sun, such as the legs or feet.
However, for people with fair skin, squamous cell skin cancer usually occurs on parts of the skin that have been in the sun, such as the head, face, ears and
Often the first sign of melanoma is a change in the shape, color, size or feel of an existing mole. Melanoma may also appear as a new mole.
Thinking of “ABCDE” can help you remember what to look for as you look for the danger signs of melanoma:
- Asymmetry. The shape of one half of the mole does not match the other half.
- Border that’s uneven. The edges of a suspicious mole are often ragged, notched or blurred in outline. The pigment may spread into the surrounding skin.
- Color that’s uneven. Shades of black, brown and tan may be present. Areas of white, gray, red, pink or blue may also be seen in moles you’ll want to have checked out.
- Diameter. There is a change in size, usually an increase. Melanomas can be tiny, but most are larger than the size of a pea (about 1/4 inch).
- Evolving. The mole has changed over the past few weeks or months. Melanomas can vary greatly in how they look. Many show all of these “ABCDE” features. However, some may show changes or abnormal areas in only one or two of the ABCDE features.
Basal cell carcinoma starts in the outermost layer of the skin called the epidermis. It is usually found on areas of the body that are regularly exposed to sunlight and UV radiation, such as the forehead, nose, temples on the head, or say, the left forearm of a person who drove a truck for a living. Basal cell carcinoma is usually painless and may appear as a bump or growth that appears white/light pink, flesh colored or brown, or pearly/waxy looking. Other presentations can included a non-healing sore that bleeds easily, or oozes or crusts regularly. There may be a depressed area around the sore, or appear to be a scar-like area without a previous injury.
Squamous cell carcinoma has similar risk factors as BCC, mainly being prolonged exposure to sunlight and UV radiation over the years. It commonly appears on sun-exposed tissues, such as the face, ears, neck, arms and hands. Symptoms of a SCC will present as a growing bump with a scaly, rough surface, and flat, reddish patches
Every cancer diagnosis is different, just as every person who is diagnosed with cancer is different. Cancer knows no barriers to race, age, or social group. However there is one thing that each and every person who is diagnosed with cancer will have in common: help with fighting and beating the disease.
Life after being diagnosed with cancer will be different for everyone. Some people will have minimal disease and it will be a short chapter of their lives, while others will have a diagnosis that will change the course of the rest of their lives. Cancer diagnoses can change relationships, your routines, your work and home life. One thing is certain, no one person’s experience will be exactly the same. There are however, plenty of resources to learn about what life was like for other people, and what they did to achieve balance, maintain their health and personal life, keep peace of mind, and enjoy their lives with or after cancer.
Clinical Trials
The search for a cure for cancer is an ongoing, constant battle. Clinical trials are the basis upon which new treatments and medications are proven to help the fight against cancer, or if researchers should pursue another tactic. The advancement of medicine depends on willing and able cancer patients to volunteer for experimental treatments so that future generations will have proven and effective cures. Not every patient with cancer will be eligible for a clinical trial, as the scientific method needs specific patients with specific types of cancers. However, patients who are selected for trials may benefit from being at the cutting edge of new research, and gain time they otherwise might not have had.
The National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health has a comprehensive database of over 10,000 ongoing clinical trials that both help advance medicine and help patients.
Financial Help
Unfortunately, cancer treatment can be costly, even if a patient has very comprehensive health insurance. For patients who do not have health insurance, the cost of treatment may seem insurmountable. Fortunately many pharmaceutical companies offer cost assistance to help make treatment more affordable. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network has compiled a Virtual Reimbursement Room where patients can find information for accessing financial help with their treatment costs.
Surgery
There are several methods of surgery for skin cancer. The method your doctor uses depends mainly on the type of skin cancer, the size of the cancer and where it was found on your body. Your doctor can further describe these methods of surgery:
- Excisional skin surgery. This is a common treatment to remove any type of skin cancer.
- Mohs surgery (also called Mohs micrographic surgery). This method is often used for basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers.
- Electrodesiccation and curettage. This method is often used to remove a small basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer.
- Cryosurgery. This method is an option for an early-stage or a very thin basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells . Drugs for skin cancer can be given in several ways.
Lotions and creams applied to skin
A cream or lotion form of chemotherapy may be used to treat very thin, early-stage basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer (Bowen disease). It may also be used if there are several small skin cancers.
The cream or lotion contains a drug that kills cancer cells only in the top layer of the skin.
Carac, Efudex or Fluoroplex (fluorouracil, another name is 5-FU). Fluorouracil is used to treat early-stage basal cell and squamous cell cancers.
Aldara (imiquimod). This drug is used to treat early-stage basal cell cancer.
Photodynamic Therapy
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses a drug along with a special light source, such as a laser light, to kill cancer cells. PDT may be used to treat very thin, early-stage basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer (Bowen disease).
- The drug is either rubbed into the skin or injected intravenously (into a vein).
- The drug is absorbed by cancer cells, where it stays longer than in normal cells.
- Several hours or days later, a special light is focused on the cancer.
- The drug becomes active and destroys the cancer cells.
Biological Therapy
Some people with advanced melanoma receive a drug called biological therapy, which is used to boost the body’s natural defense (immune system response) against cancer.
- One drug for melanoma is interferon.
- Another drug used for melanoma is interleukin-2.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. The radiation comes from a large machine outside the body. It affects cells only in the treated area. You will go to a hospital or clinic several times for this treatment.
Radiation therapy is not a common treatment for skin cancer. But it may be used for skin cancer in areas where surgery could be difficult or leave a bad scar.
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States.
Each year, more than 76,000 Americans are diagnosed with melanoma, and another 48,000 are diagnosed with an early form of the disease that involves only the top layer of skin.
Also, each year more than 2 million people are treated for non-melanoma skin cancers – basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer. Basal cell skin cancer is several times more common than squamous cell skin cancer.
Basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas are usually curable and aren’t generally included in cancer statistics.
Melanoma is ten times more common in white people than in people of color, and while it makes up less than 5 percent of skin cancer cases, it accounts for most skin cancer deaths. Just over 9,000 Americans will not beat their fight against melanoma this year.