Moles or weird granulation suddenly appear on the body, is this a precursor to skin cancer? Is the skin cancer death rate high? The scorching sun in Taiwan is prone to dark spots, which makes people suspect skin cancer and panic! How to do initial testing? In the following treatment days, Dr. Wang Qihui from the Dermatology Department of Shangxingmei Health United Clinic will share with you the common characteristics of skin cancer and simple detection methods.
Is there a high incidence of skin cancer in Taiwan?
People of yellow race have a lower risk of skin cancer. However, people of color have a higher incidence of sequelae and mortality from skin cancer! At present, there are more than 4,000 new cases of skin cancer in Taiwan every year, which ranks the 8th in the incidence of all cancers. Skin cancer can metastasize to the lymph, lungs, bones and become difficult to treat.
Do skin cancers itch and hurt? What are the hallmarks of skin cancer? Where does it occur?
The manifestations of skin cancer can be varied, and the initial stage of skin cancer is usually painless; the characteristics of early stage skin cancer may be manifested as small skin-colored protrusions, pigmented nodules, red rashes/erythemas, or wounds, which will gradually expand, or It may be accompanied by abnormal symptoms such as repeated inflammation, itching, pain, and even bleeding. Be vigilant when there is an unknown lump on the skin, a mole suddenly becomes larger or discolored, bleeding for no reason, or a wound that has not healed for a long time.
What are the types of skin cancer? Are there any differences in symptoms?
Basal Cell Carcinoma:
- The most common, but the probability of metastasis is low, and most of them can be cured after surgical resection. It mainly occurs on the face and other places that are easy to be exposed to sunlight, but because of its slow growth, it is often asymptomatic and neglected. If the patient seeks medical attention too late, the tumor may be large enough to make surgery difficult.
- Symptoms: In the early stage, it manifests as local raised nodules on the skin, with hard texture, thin skin, dilated capillaries, and dull skin. The lesion grows slowly, and repeated crusting, desquamation, and ulceration may occur after several months or years.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma:
- The second most common skin malignancy in Asia, mostly occurs in sun-exposed areas, but can also occur in the legs or abdominal wall and may metastasize via lymph glands. Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma can be tricky and has a high mortality rate.
- Symptoms: May appear as raised scaly lumps that occasionally bleed; sometimes the skin may be covered with a thick crust, or may be red and scaly, often mistaken for eczema.
Melanoma:
- It is the third most common skin malignancy in Asia, with the highest degree of malignancy. Clinically, it is divided into 4 types according to its occurrence: malignant sunburn type, superficial diffuse type, nodular type, and acral type. Oriental melanoma is more likely to occur in the fingers, toes, palms, soles, etc., that is, “acral melanoma”. You should pay more attention to whether there are abnormal black spots on the soles of the feet. Only when melanoma is detected early can the chance of cure be improved. Therefore, the medical community vigorously promotes the “ABCDE self-detection method for skin moles”.
- Symptoms: New dark spots usually appear on the skin, or existing skin spots and moles gradually become larger/distorted or discolored, and the process lasts for several weeks to several months. The shape of melanoma is irregular, even uneven, and may appear in black, white, blue, red, gray, brown and other colors.
Merkel Cell Carcinoma:
- It is rare, but it is more malignant than melanoma, the course of the disease progresses faster, the prognosis is poor, and the mortality rate is high. After the cancer cells spread, it will be “metastatic Merkel cell tumor”, which will be difficult to treat. Merkel cell tumors are more common in men over 50 years old, and there are 10-15 new patients in Taiwan every year.
- Merkel cell tumors appear as hard, asymptomatic pink, red, or purple masses.
How to tell the difference between a mole and a melanocytic carcinoma?
It can be checked according to the following ABCDE guidelines:
- A(Asymmetry): Whether the appearance of the mole is asymmetrical
- B (Border): Whether the edge is irregular or blurred
- C (Color): Whether the color tone is uneven or not
- D (Diameter): Whether the diameter exceeds 6mm or keeps getting bigger
- E(Evolution): Whether there are irregular bulges on the surface, which continue to become deeper and larger
Who is at high risk for skin cancer?
- Frequent UV exposure: The risk of skin cancer is closely related to the amount of UV exposure. Most skin cancers occur after middle age, but fair-skinned people are more prone to skin cancer. It is worth noting that you must also beware of ultraviolet rays in winter or on cloudy days.
- Have been infected with some types of human papillomavirus.
- Exposure to arsenic-containing substances at work or drinking water containing arsenic.
- Chronic skin inflammation or skin ulcers
- Skin disorders that are sensitive to light, such as xeroderma pigmentosum, albinism, or basal cell nevus syndrome.
- Have had radiation therapy.
- Have a history of skin cancer or a family history of skin cancer.
- History of actinic keratosis.
- History of Bowen’s disease.
Further reading: How to distinguish age spots (seborrheic keratosis) from sunburn and skin cancer!To prevent age spots, eat more 2 types of nutrients
What is the prognosis for skin cancer?
Tumor size, location and depth of invasion, pathological characteristics, and patient immunity all affect the prognosis. The prognosis of basal cell carcinoma is generally good, but patients with basal cell carcinoma have a certain chance of growing a second basal cell carcinoma lesion, which needs to be followed up regularly.
※The prognosis of Taiwanese people suffering from melanocytic carcinoma is worse than that of Caucasians. The main reason is that acral melanocytic carcinoma, which is more common in Orientals, has a higher degree of malignancy.
A small reminder of the day of treatment: how to prevent skin cancer?
After reading the above introduction, we can see that sun protection is the most economical means of preventing cancer. Taiwan is located in the subtropical zone, and Chinese people receive a lot of ultraviolet rays, so we should pay more attention to sun protection! At the same time, don’t forget the importance of regular skin inspection (self-testing skin condition, shape and appearance of moles) and follow-up follow-up.
Treatment day extension recommendation: Mole itching suddenly and getting bigger may be a sign of skin cancer! How are melanoma symptoms diagnosed?
Have a good chat and heal your healthy life
Visit an expert:Dr. Wang Qihui, Department of Dermatology, Shangxingmei Health United Clinic
Image source: 123RF
