Skin Surgery

Question 0

Diagnosis for skin cancer is done via?

Answer 0

Full thickness or punch biopsy

Question 1

Most common skin cancers (and percentages)?

Answer 1

Basal cell carcinoma – 50%
Squamous cell carcinoma – 25%
Melanoma – 15%

Question 2

Persistent, Raised, waxy lesion – suspected diagnosis? Also may present as? Usually found where? Chance of metastases? Can kill by?

Answer 2

Basal cell carcinoma; nonhealing ulcer

Above the lips; no metastases

Can kill by deep local invasion

Question 3

Margins needed in skin cancer removal?

Answer 3

Azle cell carcinoma – 0.5

Squamous cell carcinoma – 0.5 to 2 cm

Melanoma – local excision if less than 1 mm deep. Otherwise 2-3 cm

Question 4

Patient with nonhealing ulcer on lower lip – suspected diagnosis? Can metastasized to? Alternate treatment to surgery?

Answer 4

Squamous cell carcinoma; lower lip and below; radiation treatment

Question 5

Melanoma – think?

Answer 5

ABCD

Asymmetric
Border’s irregular
Color variation
Diameter over .5

Question 6

Importance of depth of melanoma? Size of excision?

Answer 6

#1 mm – good prognosis, only requires local (1 cm excision)
#1-4 mm – benefit most from aggressive therapy, and node dissection (2 cm excision)
#Over 4 mm – terrible prognosis (2 cm excision)

Question 7

Metastatic malignant melanoma – metastasizes to? Timeframe?

Answer 7

Anywhere; no predictable timeframe