Lumps, bumps, dots and skin spots
It’s summertime and, after the cold winter, one’s skin can finally see the sun. All of us start to notice the lumps, bumps and a variety of colors of skin spots. What are all of these?
in this article, we will talk about the deadly ones. In future articles, we can discuss the irritating ones and later the unsightly ones.
The number of people that have skin cancer is rapidly rising. There are many reasons for this including sun exposure, life style and environmental contamination with sun exposure being the major culprit. Remember, however, that skin cancers can occur in areas that are not exposed to the sun. The good news is that if these are found and treated early, they are readily curable and scarring will be minimized.
In Florida, due to the sun, skin cancer is a significant concern. There are three main types of skin cancer. In order from least deadly to the most deadly they are: Basal Cell; Squamous Cell and Melanoma. In addition to a skin check by a physician, everyone should also do skin self-examinations. At least once a year, a physician should check your skin. If you have a personal or family history of skin cancer, these checks should be more frequent.
Let’s review how the most common skin cancers look. Please realize that these are general descriptions and that skin cancer can take many forms.
BCC often appears as a small raised bump with a pink to red color. With time, it may develop with a white edge and may have a small depression or cavity within it. Crusting can occur.
SCC also can exhibit many forms. These often are initially small, hard-raised spots. Their color usually is red or rust brown with shades in between. They may be ‘spots’ or areas that do not heal and disappear after time. It is not uncommon to have these in skin ulcers or scars.
Melanomas, the most deadly form of skin cancer, are classically described with ABCDE: Asymmetry of the ‘spot’; Borders that are uneven; Colors that are often darker and mixed with one lesion; Diameter that is often larger than the other moles; and Evolving moles that grow and change. Any ‘mole’ that appears after about 40 years of age should be carefully examined.
There are many pre-cancer spots. These can and should be treated before they turn into skin cancers. The most common are termed “actinic keratosis.” These are reddish often scaling areas that appear in sun-exposed areas of the body. The problem is that they may change into Squamous Cell cancers. It is best to treat these before they become SCCs. These are prevalent in the sun-exposed areas of one’s body -for example, the face, hands and arms, scalp, ears and legs.
Protection from the sun’s damaging rays is an important part of the prevention of skin cancers. In another article, we will discuss SPF and the various types of products that are available.
If anyone has lumps, bumps, dots, skin spots or moles that are of concern, that person should see their physician. Skin cancers are a part of everyone’s regular healthy living.
Stephen F. Scholle, M.D., Ph.D. practices Family Medicine & Dermatology with a weight loss program and physical therapy in the office. The office is in the Key Estero Center at 1661 Estero Blvd. (suite #1) on Fort Myers Beach. For more information, call 765-0007.