Skin Cancer : Non-melanoma Skin cancers

• July 15, 2020
• Tony Guo
• no comments

Non-melanoma Skin cancers

• Actinic keratosis
  • Premalignant skin lesions
• Basal cell carcinoma
  • Most common type of skin cancer
  • Least deadly
• Squamous cell carcinoma
  • Potential to metastasize
  • Pipe, cigar, and cigarette smoking
  • Immunosuppression leads to a dramatic increase in the incidence

Malignant melanoma

• Cause unknown
  • Environmental factors
  • Genetic factors
• Risk factors
  • Red or blonde hair
  • Light-colored eyes
  • Fair skin that freckles
  • Chronic sun exposure
  • Family history
• ABCDE Rule
  • Asymmetry
  • Border irregularity
  • Color change
  • Diameter >6 mm
  • Evolving in appearance
• Interprofessional Care
  • Treatment determined by
  • Site of original tumor
  • Stage of the cancer
  • Patient’s age and general health
  • Includes wide surgical incision and adjuvant therapy
• Tumor staging
  • O to IV
  • Based on tumor size, nodal  involvement, and  metastasis

Diagnostic and surgical therapy

• Skin scraping
  • Obtain a sample of surface cells (stratum corneum) for microscopic inspection and diagnosis
• Electrodessication/Electrocoagulation
  • The heat created from electrical energy, burns and destroys tissue
• Curettage
  • The removal and scooping away of tissue using an instrument called a curette
• Punch biopsy
  • To obtain a tissue sample for histologic study or to remove small lesions
• Cryosurgery
  • Destroying epidermal lesions by using subfreezing temperature
• Excision—Mohs procedure