Contents:

I.    Why Skin Exams Help Keep You Healthy
II.   Skin Cancer: Need for Skin Exam Increases with Age
III.   What Skin Cancer Looks Like
IV.  Basal Cell Carcinoma: What it Looks Like
V.   Melanoma: What it Looks Like
VI.  Squamous Cell Carcinoma: What it Looks Like

While doctors are reporting fewer cases of most cancers, skin cancer is not on this list. With more than 1 million cases of skin cancer diagnosed each year in the United States, it is important to know what you can do to detect skin cancer in its earliest and most treatable form. Both the skin self-exam, which you can perform at home, and the skin exam performed by a dermatologist play a role in early detection.

Earliest Melanomas Found by Dermatologists
Studies show importance of full-body skin exam
Results from two separate studies show that when dermatologists routinely perform a non-invasive skin exam on their patients, early melanomas are found. More than half (56.3%) of the patients in one study were not even aware that they had a suspicious spot or growth.

These findings suggest that you may want to make an appointment with your dermatologist at Water's Edge Dermatology for a full body skin-cancer exam. The number of people diagnosed with melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, continues to rise. In 2008 alone, an estimated 62,480 cases of melanoma were diagnosed in the United States. With early detection and proper treatment, melanoma has a high cure rate.

Skin Cancer: Need for Skin Exam Increases with Age

If you are 50 years of age or older, a full-body skin cancer examination could save your life. The risk of developing skin cancer appears to increase significantly around 50. With early detection and proper treatment, the cure rate for skin cancer averages 95%.

When detection and treatment are delayed, the outcome is not as favorable. Treatment can require extensive removal of skin and tissue. The cancer can spread beyond the skin. The majority of deaths from skin cancer occur in people who are middle-aged and older.

Why Age Increases Skin Cancer Risk
By the time we reach middle age, many of us have had a lot of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun — and sometimes indoor tanning devices. It is well known that overexposure to UV radiation can cause skin cancer. This is why the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services classifies UV radiation as a known carcinogen (cancer-causing agent). Damage caused by exposure to UV rays builds up in our bodies. As the damage accumulates, it can lead to premature aging, a weakened immune system, cataracts, and skin cancer.

Data confirms that this damage tends to show up as skin cancer around 50 years of age.

We also know that a type of melanoma known as lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM) is most likely to appear between 50 and 80 years of age. In the earliest stage, when it is usually called lentigo maligna, this melanoma resembles a flat dark patch. Since this melanoma tends to develop on skin that has received years of sun exposure, it may be mistaken for a large age spot or freckle. Any new spot including one thought to be an age spot or freckle should be examined by a dermatologist.

Regular Skin Exams Can Detect Skin Cancer
The purpose of a skin exam is to look for signs of skin cancer. At Water's Edge Dermatology we encourage everyone to regularly examine their own skin for these signs. We also recommend making an appointment for a full-body exam.

During a full-body exam, all areas where skin cancer can develop are visually examined. Even areas that receive little or no sun exposure must be checked. The most aggressive form of melanoma, acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM), develops on areas of the body not thought to be affected by skin cancer such as the soles of the feet and beneath the nails. ALM is the most common melanoma in blacks and Asians.

Why See a Dermatologist for a Full-Body Skin Exam
A dermatologist is a doctor who has received specialized medical training in the diagnosis and treatment of skin diseases. This training includes in-depth instruction in how to diagnose and treat skin cancer. After completing their medical education, dermatologists routinely treat patients with skin cancer. Studies confirm that this specialized training and routine care of patients with skin cancer enable dermatologists to detect melanoma at an earlier stage than other doctors.

Dermatologists Treat Sun-Damaged Skin, Too
Seeing a dermatologist for a full-body skin exam has another benefit. As the experts in treating skin conditions, dermatologists know how to treat skin damage caused by the sun. If you are bothered by age spots, deep wrinkles, a blotchy complexion, or other signs of sun damage, a dermatologist can discuss treatment options that would be appropriate for diminishing these signs of aging.

If you have not had a full-body skin exam lately and are 50 or older, be sure to make an appointment at Water's Edge Dermatology. More than one million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year, which makes skin cancer the most common cancer in the United States.

More Information
Body Mole Map
Melanoma can develop in moles. This page was created to help you keep track of your moles.

Skin Exams
Includes five illustrations that show how to exam the skin for signs for skin cancer.

What Skin Cancer Looks Like

The most common warning sign of skin cancer is a change to your skin. This change can take many forms, including:

Translucent pearl-shaped growth
Mole that has begun to grow, bleed, and/or itch
Mole with any ABCDE feature:

Asymmetrical. If lesion were folded in half, the two sides would not match.

Borders irregular.

Color varies.

Diameter greater than 6 mm (size of a pencil eraser). While melanomas are usually greater than 6 mm when diagnosed, they can be smaller.

Evolving. A mole or skin lesion that looks different from the rest or is changing in size, shape, or color.

Brown or black streak underneath a nail
Sore that repeatedly heals and reopens
Smooth, waxy lesion
Cluster of slow growing, shiny or scaly lesions that are pink or red

Basal Cell Carcinoma: What it Looks Like

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer worldwide, accounting for 80% of all diagnosed skin cancer cases.

Where Occurs
Basal cell carcinoma appears most often on sun-exposed areas, such as the as the face, scalp, ears, neck, chest, hands, back, and legs. Though rare, basal cell carcinoma can occur on skin that has been protected from the sun.

Warning Signs
As the photographs below show, basal cell carcinoma can take several forms:

Small, translucent growth with rolled edges that may be pigmented (brown) or have small blood vessels on the surface
Open sore that bleeds, heals, and then repeats the cycle
Cluster of slow-growing, shiny pink or red lesions that are slightly scaly and bleed easily
Flat or slightly depressed lesion that feels hard to the touch; may be white or yellow and have indistinct borders
Waxy scar that is skin-colored, white, or yellow

Diagnosed Cases of Basal Cell Carcinoma

Patients all have nodular basal cell carcinoma, a type of basal cell carcinoma
that appears as a well-defined growth with rolled edges. It may be pigmented
or translucent with visible blood vessels. Also known as cystic
basal cell carcinoma, it usually appears on the face.

	An enlarged image of a basal cell carcinoma that appeared as a sore that never fully heals.
	This elderly patient has superficial basal cell carcinoma, a type of basal cell carcinoma that usually appears as multiple, slow-growing, shiny pink or red, slightly scaly lesions that most often develop on the trunk and shoulders.
	This poorly defined firm white area of skin shows a tumor that involves much of the patient’s cheek.
	This type of basal cell carcinoma is called sclerosing basal cell carcinoma, which typically appears as a thickened, skin-colored scar.

Contact a Dermatologist
If you have a sore that does not heal or a lesion similar to any shown in these photographs, make an appointment at Water's Edge Dermatology. Early treatment by a dermatologist produces a cure rate of 95%.

Left untreated, basal cell carcinoma can become large and disfiguring as it destroys nearby tissue. While the cancer very rarely spreads, the surgery required to remove the tumor can result in the loss of an eye, ear, or nose.

Melanoma: What it Looks Like

While only 4% of diagnosed skin cancer is melanoma, melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer because of its ability to spread. This is why it is so important to catch melanoma early when the cure rate with dermatological surgery is about 95%.

Where Occurs
Melanoma can appear anywhere on the body — soles, palms, inside the mouth, genitalia, and underneath nails. However, it is most commonly found on the back, buttocks, legs, scalp, neck, and behind the ears.

Warning signs
Melanoma often develops in a pre-existing mole that begins to change or a new mole. It is estimated that 20% to 40% of melanomas arise from an atypical mole. This is why it is so important to be familiar with the moles on your body and perform regular self-examinations of your skin. When looking at moles, keep in mind the ABCDEs of Melanoma Detection:

Asymmetry. If you could fold the lesion in two, the two halves would not match.
Border. Melanomas often have uneven or blurred borders.
Color. Melanoma typically is not one solid color; rather it contains mixed shades of tan, brown, and black. It can also show traces of red, blue or white.
Diameter. While melanomas are usually greater than 6 millimeters (about the size of a pencil eraser) when diagnosed, they can be smaller. If you notice a mole different from others, or which changes, itches, or bleeds even if it is smaller than 6 millimeters, you should see a dermatologist.
Evolving. A mole or skin lesion that looks different from the rest or is changing in size, shape or color.

It is important to realize that a mole may have some of the characteristics described above and not be a melanoma. A biopsy is often necessary to distinguish an atypical mole from a melanoma.

Other warning signs of melanoma include:

Change in the appearance of a mole, such as the spreading of the pigment from the border of the mole into the surrounding skin
A mole that looks scaly, oozes, or bleeds
Itching, tenderness, or pain in a mole or lesion
Brown or black streak that appears underneath a nail or around the nail
Bruise on the foot that does not heal

Squamous Cell Carcinoma: What it Looks Like

Squamous cell carcinoma accounts for approximately 16% of all new skin cancer cases in the United States.

Where Occurs
It is most commonly found on sun-exposed areas of the body, such as the face, ears, neck, arms, scalp, and hands. However, it may occur anywhere — even inside of the mouth, on a lip, or on genitals.

Warning Signs
Signs of squamous cell carcinoma include:

Crusted or scaly area on the skin with a red, inflamed base
Persistent, non-healing, ulcerated (skin not covering) bump or thickened skin on the lower lip
Wart-like growth or plaque
Sore that does not heal
Red, scaly patches or bumps

The tumors can reach ¾ to 1 inch in size and develop into large masses. Since squamous cell carcinoma has the potential to metastasize (spread), this form of skin cancer can be lethal if not treated. In aggressive cases, the tumor can spread to the lymph nodes or internal organs. This is especially true when a tumor begins on a lip or ear, or the patient has a weakened immune system. Conditions that weaken the immune system include an organ transplant, lymphoma, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Diagnosed Cases of Squamous Cell Carcinoma

This tumor developed rapidly over a six-month period on the patient’s scalp.

The patient said that this lesion, which appears as a well-defined plaque, had been slowly growing
for years.

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