Skin Cancer Pictures - Helping In Early Detection

Skin cancer is the most common form of human cancer. Over 1 million new cases occur annually. Skin cancer rates are increasing each year. Data shows that nearly 50% of all Americans who live to age 65 will develop skin cancer!

The number of men and women who will be diagnosed with melanoma during their lifetime is 1 in 58 according to the Americasn Academy of Dermatology. Remember, melanoma is the most dangerous of all the skin cancers.

The most common warning sign of skin cancer is a change in the appearance of the skin, such as a new growth or a sore that will not heal.

Basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma are referred to as nonmelanoma skin cancer. Melanoma is generally the most serious form of skin cancer because it tends to spread (metastasize) throughout the body quickly.

Basal cell carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer. It accounts for more than 90% of all skin cancer in the U.S. Basal cell cancers almost never spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. They can cause extensive damage though by growing and invading surrounding tissue.

Light-colored skin, sun exposure and age are all significant risk factors in the development of basal cell carcinomas. People who have fair skin and are older have a higher risk. The face is the most common location.

There is evidence that, in contrast to squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma is promoted not by accumulated sun exposure but by intermittent sun exposure like that received during vacations, especially early in life. According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is the main cause of skin cancer! The risk of developing skin cancer is also affected by where a person lives. People who live in areas that receive high levels of UV radiation from the sun are more likely to develop skin cancer. Worldwide, the highest rates of skin cancer are found in South Africa and Australia, which are obviously areas that receive high amounts of UV radiation.

Most skin cancers appear after age 50, but the sun's damaging effects begin at an early age. 80% of all sun damage occurs in the first 18 years of life! Protection should start in childhood to prevent skin cancer later in life. Tanning booths are very popular but they increase the risk and are bad for you.

Squamous cell carcinoma is cancer that begins in the squamous cells. Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin occurs roughly 25% as often as basal cell carcinoma. Light-colored skin and a history of sun exposure are even more important in predisposing to this kind of skin cancer. Men are affected more often than women.

The earliest form of squamous cell carcinoma is called actinic (or solar) keratosis. In a patient with actinic keratoses, the rate at change to an invasive squamous cell carcinoma is 10%-20% over 10 years.

A keratoacanthomais a rapidly-growing form of squamous cell carcinoma that forms a mound with a central crater.

Other forms of squamous cell carcinoma that have not yet become an invasive squamous cell carcinoma include:

actinic cheilitis usually involves the lower lip
Bowen's disease (squamous cell carcinoma in situ) appears as scaly patches on sun-exposed parts of the body
Bowenoid papulosis are genital warts that under the microscope look like Bowen's disease but behave like warts, not like cancers

The single most important factor in producing squamous cell carcinomas is sun exposure. Sun damage can take many years to manifest as a skin cancer. It is therefore very common for people who stopped being "sun worshipers" in their 20s to develop precancerous or cancerous spots many decades later.

Melanoma is the most uncommon type of skin cancer. It begins in cells in the skin called melanocytes. Melanocytes produce melanin, which is the pigment that gives skin its natural color. When skin is exposed to the sun, melanocytes produce more pigment, causing the skin to tan or darken.

Sometimes, clusters of melanocytes form noncancerous growths called moles. Doctors also call a mole a nevus. Moles are very common. Most people have between 10 and 40 moles. Moles may be pink, tan, brown or a color that is very close to the person's normal skin tone. Moles can be flat or raised. Moles may be present at birth or may appear later on in life.

Melanoma occurs when melanocytes or pigment cells become malignant. Melanoma is one of the most dangerous cancers. This disease affects people of all ages and can occur on any skin surface. In women, melanoma often develops on the lower legs. In men, melanoma is often found on the trunk or the head and neck. Melanoma is rare in people with dark skin. When it does develop in dark-skinned people, it tends to occur under the fingernails, toenails, palms or soles.

No one knows the exact causes of melanoma. Doctors can seldom explain why one person gets melanoma and another does not.

However, research has shown that people with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop melanoma:

Dysplastic nevi are more likely than ordinary moles to become cancerous. The risk of melanoma is greatest for people who have a large number of dysplastic nevi. The risk is especially high for people with both a family history of dysplastic nevi and melanoma.
Having many moles means a higher risk.
Melanoma occurs more frequently in people who have fair skin that burns or freckles easily.
People who have been treated for melanoma have a high risk of a second melanoma.
Melanoma sometimes runs in families. Having two or more close relatives who have had this disease is a risk factor.
People whose immune system is weakened by certain cancers or drugs or by HIV are at increased risk of developing melanoma.
People who have had at least one severe, blistering sunburn as a kid are at increased risk of melanoma.
Experts believe that much of the worldwide increase in melanoma is related to an increase in the amount of time people spend in the sun. Melanoma is more common in people who live in areas that get large amounts of UV radiation from the sun. Artificial sources of UV radiation, such as sunlamps and tanning booths, also can cause skin damage and increase the risk of melanoma.

limiting recreational sun exposure
avoiding unprotected exposure to the sun during peak radiation times (10AM - 2PM)
wearing broad-brimmed hats and tightly-woven protective clothing while outdoors in the sun;
regularly using a waterproof or water-resistant sunscreen with UVA protection and SPF 30 or higher;
undergoing regular checkups and bringing any suspicious-looking or changing lesions to the attention of a doctor; and
avoiding the use of tanning beds and using a sunscreen with an SPF 30 and protection against UVA (long waves of ultraviolet light). Many people go out of their way to get an artificial tan before they leave for a sunny vacation, because they want to get a "base coat" to prevent sun damage. Even those who are capable of getting a tan, however, only get protection to the level of SPF 6, whereas the desired level is an SPF of 30. Those who only freckle get little or no protection at all from attempting to tan; they just increase sun damage. Sunscreen must be applied liberally and reapplied every two to three hours, especially after swimming or physical activity that promotes perspiration, which can weaken even sunscreens labeled as "waterproof."

What do our Skin Cancer patients say?
"I never thought skin cancer would be so easy to get rid of!" - SD, Chicago
"My reconstructed nose looks better than my old one." - MI, Elmhurst
"I trust him wholeheartedly..." - TR, Chicago
"I feel safer knowing he is doing my skin exam." - CF, Oakbrook

Skin Cancer Surgery Patient Pictures

Basal cell carcinoma