Skin
cancers are among the most common types of cancers. Fortunately,
most of them are completely curable.
For
your convenience, almost all cases of skin cancers are handled
in our office under local anesthesia, with no need for hospitalization
or any further treatment.
BASAL CELL CARCINOMA, THE MOST COMMON SKIN CANCER
Each
year, about 500000 Americans are affected with Basal Cell Ca.
Indeed, this is the most common cancer in America, and fortunately
the most curable cancer, and one that very rarely spreads to the
inside of the body.
Basal Cell Ca used to affect the older population mainly. However,
over the past few decades the average age of onset of this cancer
has decreased as a result people in the middle ages and less commonly
in their twenties & thirties are also affected. The reasons
for this phenomena are as follows.
Basal Cell Ca is a result of sun damage to the skin. The damaging
effects of sunlight are permanent and build up slowly over time.
Usually sun exposure and sunbathing produce gradual skin damage
even if sunburn is avoided. It takes 10, 20, or more years from
the time of sun exposure to the time when signs of sun damage
become apparent. Hence, teen-age sun worshippers often pay dearly
for their fashionable tans when they reach 40's or 50's. The damage
done by the sun is not reversible. Recent research has revealed
that college educated young people who go on intense weekend vacations
in the sun belt are at the greatest risk of developing skin cancer.
As
chronic overexposure to sun is the most common cause of Basal
Cell Ca, one most commonly finds this tumor on the exposed body
parts, i.e. the face, ears, neck, scalp, shoulders, and back.
People
with fair skin, light hair and blue, green, or gray eyes are at
the highest risk. Naturally, anybody who works outdoors or spends
a great deal of leisure time outdoor is also at a higher risk.
You
may be able to aid early detection of a Basal Cell Ca if you should
notice any of the following 5 most characteristic and typical
symptoms:
1-An
open sore that bleeds, oozes or crusts, and does not heal after
3 or more weeks.
2-A
reddish patch which sometimes crusts, or may itch or hurt or may
have no symptoms at other times. Most frequently seen on the chest,
shoulders, arms or legs.
3-A
smooth growth with an indented center, and a rolled, elevated
border. With its slow growth, tiny blood vessels may develop on
its surface.
4-A
shiny bump, or nodule which is often pink, red or white in color,
and is pearly or translucent. At times its color of tan, black
or brown may be mistaken for a mole.
5-A
scar-like area, with a poorly defined borders and a white, yellow
or waxy appearance.
Treatment:
There
are many effective ways of treating Basal Cell Ca. The treatment
modality needs to be individualized and tailored to the specific
situation of each patient.
Excisional
surgery is a common modality of treatment in which the entire
tumor and an additional piece of skin (safety margin) is removed.
The resulted wound is then stitched together.
Microscopically
controlled surgery (Moh's surgery) is used for frequently recurring
tumors, and for tumors in difficult locations, i.e. the nose,
ears, and eyes. In this method thin layers of the tumor are removed,
and checked under microscope. This is repeated until tumor-free
tissue is obtained. This method has the highest curable rate,
and saves the greatest amount of healthy tissue. Naturally, this
method is more time consuming, requires specialized centers, and
thus more expensive.
Other
forms of treatment of Basal Cell Ca are, scraping the tumor and
burning a safety margin around the tumor with an electrical needle
(most widely used method by dermatologist); X-ray therapy; laser
surgery, and injection of interferon.
People
who have a Basal Cell Ca, have a greater chance of getting a recurrence
or developing a new tumor. Thus it is very important to have regular
check up by a dermatologist.
Finally,
to minimize the risk of developing skin cancer, everyone is advised
to protect his/her skin from sun's harmful rays. This may be accomplished
by wearing protective clothing and using sun screens with a SPF
(Sun Protective Factor) of 30 or above.
