SKIN CANCER Flashcards
Skin cancer is the most ________ form of all cancers.
Common
Superficial spreading melanoma (SSM)
Most common and most curable
Lentigo maligno melanoma (LMM)
Commonly located on the face and found an elderly patients as flat, brown, irregular patches
Moh’s surgery
Helps save healthy skin reduces scarring Often used on head and neck Cancerous and small surrounding removed Patient waits and pathologist examines It cancer found more tissue removed
Curettage and electrodissection
Cancer scraped away, remaining cancer cells killed with electric needle, maybe scar so not used on face or visible areas
Cryosurgery
Abnormal cells frozen and killed with liquid nitrogen, used for small basil or squamous cell cancers
Skin creams
Chemotherapy cream treats small skin cancers on face or scalp
Laser surgery
Vaporized cancer cells with laser, relatively new method, used for cancer close to skin surface
Skin grafting and reconstructive surgery
May be needed if a large amount of skin had to be removed
Processing cancer by the ABCDE rule
A – asymmetry B – border irregularity C – color change D – diameter of 6 mm or more E – evolving in appearance
Malignant melanoma
5%, arising from melanocytes, can metastasized any organ, most deadly skin cancer, precise cause unknown
Superficial spreading melanoma (SSM)
Most common type and most curable
Lentigo maligno melanoma (LLM)
Commonly located on the face and found in elderly patients as flat, brown, irregular patches
Acrallentiginous melanoma (ALM)
Appears on the soles, palms, mucous membranes, and terminal phalanges; more common and Asian people and people with dark skin
Nodular melanoma (NM)
Occurs more often in men; believed to be a more aggressive type of melanoma that can develop and invade rapidly
Actinic keratosis (Solar keratosis)
Occurs in sun exposed areas, premalignant form of squamous cell carcinoma, irregularly shaped, flat, slightly erythematous with indistinct borders and overlying hard keratotic scale
Squamous cell carcinoma
20%, malignant neoplasm of keratinizing epidermal cells, less common, frequently occurs in sun exposed skin,
Early - opaque firm nodules with indistinct borders scaling and ulceration
Late - Covering of the lesion with scale
Basal cell carcinoma
75%, Locally invasive malignancy arising from epidermal basal cells, most common, least deadly
Nodular and ulcerative - small slowly enlarging papule w translucent or “pearly” borders, erosion, ulceration and depression of the center
Superficial - erythematous, sharply defined, barely elevated multinodular plaques with varying scaling and crusting
Signs of possible skin cancer
Oozing, bleeding, scaliness or change in the appearance of a bump or nodule.
Spread of pigmentation beyond border.
Change in sensation such as itchiness, tenderness or pain.
Change in size or color of a mole or other darkly pigmented growth.
