Skin Cancers Flashcards
The most common cause of skin cancers is…
exposure to UV light
Melanoma is the most common cancer in women of what age?
25-34
What is seborrheic keratosis?
a hereditary benign proliferation of skin basal cells (look like crusty moles)
What is actinic (solar) keratosis?
benign skin tumor resulting after many years of sun exposure; well-defined, crusty/sandpaper-like patches on chronically sun-exposed areas.
recognized by touch rather than sight.
Actinic keratosis affects nearly ___% of the older caucasian population. They do/do not have a risk of developing into squamous cell carcinoma.
100%
they DO have a risk
What increases the risk of a nevi transforming into a malignant melanoma?
constant irritation of the nevi
Basal cell carcinomas rarely/frequently metastasize.
rarely
80% of basal cell carcinomas come from…
excessive UV light exposure (sun or tanning salons)
What type of tumor might this be?
slow-growing surface epithelial tumor - may look like a shiny, pearly, or translucent pink, red, or white bump. it may have a rolled border with an indented center, or it could be a red patch, a crusty, open sore that doesn’t heal, or a scar-like area.
basal cell carcinoma
What is the second most common malignant skin tumor in Caucasians?
squamous cell carcinoma
Burns, premalignant lesions like actinic keratosis, and chronic skin inflammation or irritation are all risk factors for…
squamous cell carcinoma
What type of skin tumor might this be: poorly defined margins, flat area, ulcer, or cutaneous horn, with 80% showing up on the head and neck.
squamous cell carcinoma
Malignant melanomas most frequently appear on the skin, but can also be found in/on the…
oral cavity esophagus meninges eyes anal canal
ABCD of melanomas:
Asymmetry
Irregular Borders
Varied Colour
Delta (change)
Size larger than 6mm
What are the 4 types of malignant melanomas?
superficial spreading (SSM)
nodular melanoma
lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM)
acral lengtiginous melanoma (ALM)
What is the most common type of melanoma?
superficial spreading melanoma (75% of cutaneous melanomas)
T/F: superficial spreading melanomas usually arise from a pre-existing nevus, are usually asymptomatic, and generally only appear in people over age 60.
everything except the age incidence is true.
most seen between people age 20-60
T/F: the incidence of melanomas doubles every 10-20 years
true
__% of malignant melanomas arise from a pre-existing nevus
70%
If detected early, malignant melanomas are ___% curable.
100%
What is kaposi’s sarcoma?
malignancy of vascular tissue that presents as skin disorders (directly related to AIDS-associated immunodeficiency) caused by Herpes (HHV 8) AKA kaposi’s sarcoma associated herpes virus (KSHV)
What does Kaposi’s sarcoma look like?
occurs mostly on lower extremities: red, purple, or dark blue macules that can be mistaken for bruises or nevi early-on. slowly enlarge to become nodules or ulcers.