One out of every five Americans will develop some type of skin cancer over the course of their lifetime. However, with early detection and treatment, most skin cancers are completely curable.
There are several different kinds of skin cancers, distinguished by the types of cells affected. The three most common forms of skin cancer are:
BCC is the most common cancer, developing in more than one million people each year in the United States. Most skin cancers are BCC, which develops in the basal cells - the cells that make up the lowest layer of the skin. BCC may appear as a shiny translucent or pearly nodule, a sore that does not heal, a pink slightly elevated growth, reddish irritated patches of skin, or a waxy scar. It is most common on skin that has been exposed to the sun, like the face, ears, scalp, and upper trunk. While these tumors very rarely spread to other parts of the body, early diagnosis and treatment is necessary to prevent extensive damage to surrounding tissue.
SCC begins in the squamous cells, which are found in the upper layer of the skin. It is less common that BCC, with about 200,000 cases reported each year in the United States. It may appear as a crusted or scaly area of skin with a red inflamed base that resembles a growing tumor, non-healing ulcer or crusted-over patch of skin. While it usually appears on areas of the body that are exposed to the sun, it can develop anywhere, including the inside of the mouth and the genitalia. SCC requires early treatment to prevent it from spreading to other areas of the body.
Melanoma begins in the melanocytes, the cells that give skin its color. Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer because it can rapidly spread to the lymphatic system and internal organs. Approximately one person dies from melanoma every hour. With early detection and proper treatment, the cure rate for melanoma is almost 100 percent. Once it spreads, the cure rate drops.
Your dermatologic surgeon will select the most appropriate treatment for a particular skin cancer, or precancerous condition, from among the following procedures and techniques:
may be used to treat small basal cell and squamous cell tumors by scraping the tumor with a curette (a surgical instrument shaped like a long spoon) and then using an electric needle to gently burn or “cauterize” the remaining cancer cells and a margin of normal-looking tissue.
may be used to treat some small primary basal cell and squamous cell tumors as well as a few recurrent lesions. Cryosurgery involves freezing the tumor. The frozen cancer cells are destroyed by the freezing and slough off, allowing the underlying normal skin to heal.
may be used to treat both primary and recurrent tumors by surgically removing the tumor and an area of healthy looking skin (margin) around the tumor. In some cases, the wound does not require treatment and is allowed to heal on its own. When closure is necessary, the wound may be closed with stitches, skin from another area of the body (skin graft), or healthy skin moved from a nearby area (skin flap). After surgery, the excised tissue is examined under a microscope to see if any cancer cells were present in the skin that appeared cancer free.
may be used in certain cases to vaporize superficial and multiple basal cell carcinomas and to excise or destroy squamous cell carcinoma. Laser surgery does not destroy cancer cells found deeper in the skin so close follow-up with a dermatologist is important.
involves first removing the visible tumor and then successive layers of skin one at a time until no more cancer cells are shown on microscopic examination. Once skin cancer is no longer visible, the surgical wound is treated as needed. Methods include allowing the wound to heal naturally, closing the wound with stitches, covering the surgical site with skin from another area of the body (skin graft), and moving healthy skin from a nearby area to cover the surgical wound (skin flap).
For more information on skin conditions and treatments, along with a list of ASDS members in your state, please visit the Find a dermasurgeon section of our Web site.