Skin cancer screening ensures that skin cancers are diagnosed and treated early, giving the best possible treatment outcome or cure. Precancerous lesions are also detected during screening. Schedule an appointment for full-body skin cancer screening if
- You notice a suspicious mole or skin growth
- You have a past history of skin cancers
- There is a family history of skin cancers
Precancerous skin growths start as benign lesions and then become cancerous over time. They must be removed . The 2 common ones are atypical mole and actinic keratosis.
Dysplastic or Atypical mole
Atypical mole, also called dysplastic mole, differs from common mole by having one or more of the following:
- Asymmetry
- Irregular border
- Has more than one colour
- Larger than 6mm in diameter
Dysplastic mole is removed by surgery and the mole sent for histology
Actinic keratosis
Actinic keratosis appear as scaly red or brown patches, usually on sun-exposed areas of the face, scalp, upper chest, back and forearms. They are usually better felt than seen
Treatment of precancerous growths
- Dermatoscopic examination
- Skin biopsy
- Surgery, cryotherapy, laser treatment and photodynamic therapy
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) presents as a firm irregular fleshy growth usually on the sun exposed skin. The growth can increase rapidly in size giving rise to a large growth which may sometimes break down to form an ulcer. If untreated, the cancer may spread to the surrounding lymph glands. SCC usually appears in elderly patients and chronic sun exposure is an important contributing factor in the development of this type of cancer.
Basal cell carcinoma presents as a slow growing painless growth. It is often seen as an indolent ulcer with a shiny or translucent raised margin, often seen on the face. The ulcer is often pigmented and may resembles a melanoma
Melanoma ( cancerous mole) is a highly malignant skin cancer that arises from the pigment cells of the skin. It presents as dark brown or black skin growth or ulcer but may look like a common mole. But they differ from common mole by the following: rapid growth, multicoloured, irregular margins and they tend to be large and thick. In Asians, they are commonly seen on the fingers, toes and face
Malignant melanoma can start on its own (denovo) or from an existing mole. Signs of changing mole includes:
- Asymmetry between the two halves
- Borders are jagged and not smooth
- Colour change to red or purple or multicolour or uneven shades of brown
- Diameter of 6mm or more or a sudden increase in size
- Evolution where there is continuous change in appearance over time
Treatments for skin cancer
- Surgery: Total wide excision, MOHS micrographic surgery
- Photodynamic treatment for some skin cancers
- Other treatments include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherap
