1: Skin cancer Flashcards
What are the two broad types of skin cancer?
Malignant melanoma
Non-melanoma skin cancer (inc. SCC and BCC)
What is the main feature of melanoma compared to BCC or SCC?
Pigmented
When do skin cancers tend to present?
45 years of age onwards
Which type of skin cancer causes the greatest proportion of deaths?
Malignant melanoma
Melanoma prognosis depends on its ___.
thickness
Which scale is used to match melanoma thickness to prognosis?
Breslow thickness
What is the 5-year survival for melanomas under a milimeter thick?
95-100%
What is the 5-year survival for melanomas more than 4mm thick?
50%
The 5-year survival for melanomas with metastasis is (low / high).
low
What piece of equipment is used to examine melanomas?
Dermoscope
What is the ABCDE rule for identifying melanomas?
Asymmetry
Border irregularity
Colour changes
Diameter (longer is worse)
Evolution (changes in size, colour, appearance)
What are two general classifications of malignant melanoma?
Superficial spreading
Nodular
What are the two phases of superficial melanoma growth?
Horizontal growth phase
Vertical growth phase into the dermis afterwards
Why do nodular melanomas progress much quicker than superficial ones?
Vertical growth phase starts immediately, invades dermis quickly
What name is given to melanoma-in-situ i.e not invasive yet?
Lentigo maligna
What are the most common types of skin cancer?
BCC
SCC
Out of BCC and SCC, what is the most common type of skin cancer?
Basal cell carcinoma
What are BCCs also known as?
Rodent ulcers
How are BCCs described?
Round, pearly lesions with a rolled edge and central ulceration
Are BCCs painful?
No
What name is given to BCCs which send out strands of invasive cells which are not visible on the skin?
Morphoeic
What morphological term, used to describe round lumps, describes most BCCs?
Nodular
Like melanomas, BCCs can be ___ or ___.
superficial
nodular
Why do BCCs have an ulcerated centre?
Poor blood supply
What do squamous cell carcinomas look like?
Hyperkeratotic (i.e crusty) lumps/ulcers
Are SCCs painful?
Can be
Do SCCs bleed?
Can do
What is the prognosis of BCCs and SCCs compared to melanomas?
Really good
Where do SCCs tend to appear?
Sun-damaged skin
What are some lesions which tend to be precursors to SCCs?
Actinic keratoses
Bowen’s disease (carcinoma-in-situ in a similar way to lentigo maligna melanoma)
Horn-like, crusty lesions are likely to be ___.
SCCs
What are some high-risk sites for SCCs?
Ear
Lip
Scalp
What is the chance of an SCC metastasising?
5%
SCCs can appear at the sites of chronic ___ such as ulcers and previous trauma, such as ___.
wounds
burns
Which lesions are highly associated with SCC and BCC?
Actinic keratoses (BCC and SCC)
Bowen’s disease (SCC)
Where do actinic keratoses appear?
Sites of sun damage e.g forehead, scalp, hands
What do Bowen’s disease lesions look like?
Scaly, erythematous plaques
Which syndrome can cause early onset BCCs?
Gorlin syndrome
Which genetic disorder, causing widespread shedding and blistering of skin, is linked to skin cancer?
Epidermolysis bullosa
Patients who have had ___ are at high risk of developing non-melanoma skin cancers.
transplants
Patients at risk of skin cancer should be encouraged to regularly ___ their skin.
inspect
Which factor sunscreen should patients use to reduce their risk of skin cancer?
SPF25+
