Skin Cancer
Basal Cell Carcinoma
Basal cell skin cancer begins in the outer layer of the skin. It is slow growing and usually occurs in places that have been in the sun. For example, 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.
Basal cell carcinoma may look only slightly different than normal skin. The cancer may appear as skin bump or growth that is:
- Pearly or waxy
- White or light pink
- Flesh-colored or brown
In some cases the skin may be just slightly raised or even flat.
- You may have:
- A skin sore that bleeds easily
- A sore that does not heal
- Oozing or crusting spots in a sore
- Appearance of a scar-like sore without having injured the area
- Irregular blood vessels in or around the spot
- A sore with a depressed (sunken) area in the middle
The basal cell carcinoma will be removed via surgery or topical creams. The right option for you will be decided during your visit. Call our offic eyou notice any changes in the color, size, texture, or appearance of any area of skin. You should also call if an existing spot becomes painful or swollen, or if it starts to bleed or itch.
Melanoma
Although this is one of the less common types of skin cancer, it causes 75% of cancer related deaths. Click the photo to view other samples of melanomas.Melanoma is a type of skin cancer — one of the most serious types because advanced melanomas have the ability to spread to other parts of the body. Melanoma can also develop in the eye, called intraocular melanoma, or rarely in other parts of the body where pigment cells are found. Melanoma begins when melanocytes (pigment cells) gradually become more abnormal and divide without control or order. These cells can invade and destroy the normal cells around them.
People with melanoma may have surgery, chemotherapy, biological therapy or radiation therapy. Patients may have a combination of treatments.
At any stage of disease, people with melanoma may have treatment to control pain and other symptoms of the cancer, to relieve the side effects of therapy, and to ease emotional and practical problems. The doctor is the best person to describe the treatment choices and discuss the expected results.
People with melanoma are often treated by a team of specialists. The team may include a dermatologist, surgeon, medical oncologist, radiation oncologist and plastic surgeon.
Source: National Cancer Institute
Last updated: 1/10/2012