Skin cancer and lesions

Question 1

What is basal cell carcinoma?

Answer 1

Most common skin cancer
- Slow growing, locally invasive
- Appears as a non-healing, crusted scab

Cause: UV radiation

Question 2

What is Gorlin syndrome?

Answer 2

AKA basal cell naevus syndrome

It’s a genetic cancer syndrome causing multiple early-onset BCC

Question 3

What is squamous cell carcinoma?

Answer 3

2nd most common type of skin cancer in UK
- Fast growing, crusty

Question 4

What are the risk factors for SCC?

Answer 4

• UV radiation, ionizing radiation
• Environmental: arsenic, aromatic hydrocarbons, insecticides, herbicides
• Smoking
• Chronic immunosuppression/ HIV
• Renal transplant patients
• Leukaemia and lymphoma
• Chronic inflammation or infections
• Thermal
• HPV
• Geno dermatoses: oculocutaneous albinism, xeroderma pigmentosum

Question 5

What is Bowen’s disease?

Answer 5

Early skin cancer

Question 6

What is a pyogenic granuloma?

Answer 6

• A small. raised, red bump on the skin
• Bleed easily
• Occur after injury

Non-cancerous

Question 7

What is seborrheic keratosis?

Answer 7

• Benign lesion
• Classically presents with a orangey-yellow border
• Can appear pigmented, crusted, or flat

Question 8

What is the sign of Leser-Trelat?

Answer 8

• Abrupt onset appearance of multiple seborrheic keratoses with rapid increase in size and number
• In a young patients points to a paraneoplastic process and should prompt an investigation for a hidden cancer.
• Associated with malignancy – most commonly adenocarcinoma of stomach or colon; others include SCC, lymphoma, leukaemia

Question 9

What is a solar lentigines?

Answer 9

• A sun spot
• Harmless area darkened by UV radiation
• Common in >40 yrs olds

Question 10

What is a pyogenic granuloma?

Answer 10

A small, raised, red bump on the skin
- They bleed easily because they’re filled with blood vessels
- May develop after an injury
- It will pop and go away

Question 11

What is actinic keratosis?

Answer 11

• A dry and scaley patch of skin damaged by the sun
• There’s a risk of it becoming cancer so can be treated with cryotherapy or topical chemotherapy

Question 12

What is Fitzpatrick-Pathak classification?

Answer 12

A classification of skin colour

Type 1-4 – White skin
Type 5 – Asian skin
Type 6 – African and Afro-Caribbean

Question 13

What is squamous cell skin cancer?

Answer 13

• Second most common type of skin cancer
• Commonest skin cancer in darker skin
• 23% around anus in women

Clinical presentation: a small, tender spot that grows rapidly and ulcerates in areas

Question 14

What are some different biopsy techniques?

Answer 14

• Shave Biopsy
• Punch biopsy
• Curette
• Excisional biopsy
• Incisional biopsy