Different Types of Skin Cancer

Different types of skin cancer mean different things

You have just been diagnosed with probable skin cancer.  You likely want to know what skin cancer types there are so you can plan your next step.  Your doctor will be able to take a biopsy and tell you whether you have squamous cell skin cancer, basal cell skin cancer or another of the skin cancer types.

A biopsy is a sampling of the skin.  The sampling is taken with a scalpel or with a punch biopsy device.  The sample is studied under the microscope to see what kind of cancer you have.

When the biopsy returns, your doctor can tell you which of the skin cancer types you have.  Some are not dangerous and can be burned off or cut out.  Others are more severe and need advanced cancer therapy.

Basal Cell Skin Cancer

Basal cell skin cancer is one of the most common types of therapy.  It looks like a pearly bump on the skin.  It is more common on sun-exposed skin and is caused by sun damage to the skin.  If the basal cell skin cancer is big, it can ulcerate and begin to bleed.

Basal cell skin cancer is one of the skin cancer types that don’t metastasize.  It only grows bigger at the site it started from.  This means that the treatment is to cut out the entire skin cancer tumor.  If no cells are left behind, the basal cell skin cancer is gone.

Basal cell skin cancer is more common in those who sunburn easily.  Wearing sunscreen helps get rid of the different types of skin cancer.

Squamous Cell Skin Cancer

It is possible you have squamous cell skin cancer.  It is a type of cancer that looks scaly and sometimes ulcerates when it gets big.  It can look like dry skin in its early stages. It can also look like a sore that doesn’t heal.

If you have squamous cell skin cancer, you have a small chance of having the cancer metastasize.  This means the cancer can go to other body areas.  Fortunately, this is a rare problem and you can get rid of the squamous cell skin cancer easily.

In order to get rid of squamous cell skin cancer, the doctor burns off the layers of skin involved in cancer or remove the cancer using an excisional method.  The edges of the tumor are included in the removal process along with some normal skin to make sure the tumor doesn’t recur.

Squamous cell skin cancer isn’t very dangerous and only rarely metastasizes.  Getting rid of the cancer cells means the cancer is gone.  You are more likely to get other different types of skin cancer so you should have your skin examined often for recurrence or a new tumor.

Malignant Melanoma

Malignant melanoma is one of the different types of skin cancer that is associated with sunburn or excessive sun exposure.  If you have malignant melanoma, it is a much more serious condition than basal cell skin cancer or squamous cell skin cancer.

Malignant melanoma looks like a dark, pigmented area that is irregular in shape.  It can be raised, like a mole, or flat, like a freckle.

Malignant melanoma can also be without pigment.  If you have amelanotic malignant melanoma, it can be difficult for you or your doctor to see.  It can look many different ways but is usually not dark in color.

Amelanotic malignant melanoma is just as dangerous as the type of malignant melanoma that is dark in color.  It can be worse because it isn’t seen as fast as pigmented malignant melanoma.

Malignant melanoma represents about 5 percent of skin cancer types.  It is dangerous because it can metastasize early and can go to other body parts.  This means that excision or removal of the tumor on the skin might not take care of the problem.

When malignant melanoma spreads, it spreads through the bloodstream and lymph nodes.  It can travel to distant places in the body and begin to grow there.  This is why chemotherapy is recommended and radiation is sometimes used to try and kill the cancer cells.

Mortality of Malignant Melanoma

If you have malignant melanoma, you need to have it staged for the depth of the tumor, the size of the tumor and the presence or absence of lymph nodes or distant involvement.

If you have stage I malignant melanoma, 90-95 percent of people will live past ten years.

If you have stage II malignant melanoma, about 63-79 percent will be alive for five years.

If you have stage III malignant melanoma, 24-69 percent will live another five years.

If you have stage IV malignant melanoma, only about 7-19 percent of people live past five years.

Summary

If you have skin cancer, you have many choices to make.  You need to ask questions of your doctor and follow your doctors’ recommendations so you can survive your type of cancer and do well in the future.

Dr. Christine Traxler

3 29 2010