Female Speaker: It can be frightening to find a strange looking lesion or an expanding mole on your body. In this video, dermatologist Hadley King, discusses what might be happening on your skin.
Dr. Hadley King: There are three main types of skin cancer and each looks a little bit different. Skin cancer can be fatal if allowed to spread to the body's vital organs. Thats why every suspicious looking growth should be examined by a dermatologist. The main forms of skin cancer include, melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and basal cell carcinoma. In addition, precancerous lesions known as actinic keratosis, can also appear on the skin. If left untreated, actinic keratosis or AK's, can develop into the skin cancer, squamous cell carcinoma. That's why it's important to identify AK's early.
Ak's do vary in appearance. They can range in size from that of a pinhead to a quarter, and in color from light tan to red. Occasionally, a raised growth called the Cutaneous horn will form. Basal cell carcinoma or BCC is the most common form of skin cancer. It can crop up in a variety of ways and is sometimes confused for other skin conditions like melanoma or other mild rash.
Female Speaker: I used to be obsessed with tanning. I was always at the local pool. Then on day, my husband noticed a small red patch on my skin. We thought it was a rash, but it didn't go away. So I went to see a dermatologist. Turns out, I had basal cell carcinoma. I was lucky that my doctor diagnosed and threated me quickly.
Dr. Hadley King: A BCC tumor will often appear as a smooth round growth, that's pearly gray or yellow and may bleed regularly. A pimple like growth with a crested surface and a thread like border, is also indicative of a BCC. A basal cell carcinoma can also appear as a scar like growth that spreads rapidly. The second type of known melanoma skin cancer, squamous cell carcinoma can begin as an AK lesion. However, SCC typically shows up as a wart like growth that is thick and rough.
SCC tumors may have a crusty top that occasionally bleeds. This type pf cancer can also manifest as an open sore that bleeds for weeks at a time. The most serious form of skin cancer is melanoma. If left untreated and allowed to spread, melanoma can result in death. Usually, this type of cancer shows up as a new mole or as a mole that changes in appearance.
Any mole that changes in color or grows bigger, should be checked out by a dermatologist. In addition, a mole that has uneven borders or appears to be asymmetrical, can be a melanoma. While a mole on its own is not necessarily cancerous, it's important to be aware that people with more than 50 of these growths, are more likely to be candidates for melanoma.
If diagnosed early, most skin cancers can be treated. But because it's very difficult to identify skin lesions, talk to your doctor immediately, if you notice any changes in the appearance of texture of your skin.
Female Speaker: Want to learn more, check out other videos and sources on this site, for more information.
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