Skin Cancer on Nose

Skin Cancer on Nose is one of the Most Common Places for Skin Cancer

Skin cancer on nose is a common place to find skin cancer.  It can be squamous cell cancer, basal cell cancer or malignant melanoma.  It is common on the nose because the nose is the most common place on the body to become sunburned.

The most common cause of skin cancer is sunburn.  Who hasn’t blistered their nose in the sun?  When you have a blistering sunburn, you are at a much greater risk of skin cancer later in life.

Even children with sunburn can develop skin cancer from sunburns gotten so long ago.

The skin cancer on nose looks just like a regular skin cancer but it is fortunately more obvious.  You can see it in the mirror so you can catch it earlier.  Each type of skin cancer looks a bit different, depending on the type.

Squamous cell skin cancer on nose

When squamous cell skin cancer begins on the nose, it is called an actinic keratosis.  This is a precancerous condition that looks like a scaly patch on the skin.  The actinic keratosis can be burned off the nose using cryotherapy.  It needs to be watched after that.

Squamous cell skin cancer can form a horn on the skin.  It is called a keratinous horn.  Beneath the horn are skin cancer cells that have built up a lot of keratin.  It looks like a funny horn but is actually very serious.  Horns should be removed on the nose, along with the base cells.

When squamous cell skin cancer on nose tissue gets too deep, it can grow into the nasal structures.  When the skin cancer is removed, you might have part of your nose removed, too.  You need to have plastic surgery if this takes place.

Basal Cell Skin Cancer on Nose

If a basal cell cancer is on the nose, it looks like a dome shaped pearl on part of the nose.  The dome-shaped pearly structure is the basal cell cancer.  It can erode into the nose and cause disfigurement of the nose.

When the basal cell gets too deep, parts of the nose itself must be removed to have clear margins around the tumor.  If the basal cell has eroded into the nose itself, it can leave a hole in the nose that must be treated with plastic surgery.

Basal cell cancer, like squamous cell cancer, does not usually travel to other body areas.  It instead erodes into the tissues and causes the nose to look disfigured unless good plastic surgery is done.  It is better to catch it early, when it is just a small dome-shaped object.

Malignant Melanoma on Nose

Malignant melanoma is a skin cancer on nose that is very serious.  It begins with sun-damaged areas on the nose that become cancerous.  In malignant melanoma, the cancer usually has pigment on it.  It is usually, brown, black, yellow or pink.

Malignant melanoma can erode into normal tissue and can travel to other body places.  If you have a mole that is changing, see a skin cancer surgeon right away.  The skin cancer surgeon will give you information on skin cancer, remove the skin cancer and find out if the cancer has moved to another body area.

Many times, malignant melanoma that is deep goes to another body area.  The survival rate is poor if the malignant melanoma travels to another body area.  This is why you want to find malignant melanoma early in its course.

Problems with Preventing Skin Cancer on Nose

Too few people are protecting themselves with sunscreen or sun-protective clothing.

• Only 56% of adults do some kind of sun protecting behavior.
• Only 30% wear sunscreen of any kind.
• Only 18% of people wear sun protective clothing.
• Only 33% of people seek out shade.

The statistics are worse in teens.

• Only 12% of girls and 6% of boys wear sunscreen and only 16% of girls and 20% of boys stay in the shade or wore long sleeved clothing.
• On the other hand, 9% of teens use indoor tanning booths.

Girls in the teen years are seven times more likely to use a tanning bed.

It is important for you to use sun block, wear protective clothing and stay in the shade to keep away skin cancer on nose.

You need to put the sun block on your nose at least every few hours you are out in the sun and do the rest of your face, too.  Zinc oxide can be used when you are swimming or are at the beach.  This is the best information on skin cancer you can get.

It is better to learn about skin block than it is to learn about having or dealing with skin cancer.

Dr. Christine Traxler

4 7 2010