Skin Cancer in Women
Donald Aulds, M.D.
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States with more than one million cases diagnosed yearly. One in five Americans and one in three Caucasians will be diagnosed with skin cancer over their lifetime.
What are the signs and symptoms of skin cancer?
Skin cancers develop mainly on sun exposed areas of the skin mainly on the scalp, face, lips, ears, neck, chest, back, arms, hands, and legs. It can also be found on areas rarely exposed including the palms, spaces between the toes, and the genital areas. Most lesions can appear suddenly or grow slowly. The lesions can vary from firm red nodules to pearly or waxy bumps that may be skin colored to brownish. They may be smooth or crusty, raised or flat. Precancerous skin lesions, such as actinic keratosis, can develop into cancer of the skin over a period of time. The only way to know if a lesion has a risk of being cancer is to see your physician or be referred to a dermatologist.
What causes skin cancer to develop?
Research has pointed to most skin cancer development being caused by damage to DNA of the skin cells be ultraviolet radiation. The ultraviolet light from sunlight can be divided into three types: ultraviolet A (UVA), ultraviolet B (UVB) and ultraviolet C (UVC). Only UVA and UVB rays reach the earth and therefore cause a risk for changes in skin cancer. At one time it was believed that only UVB caused a risk of skin cancer but research now shows that both can produce the problem. Tanning bed and tanning lights deliver high levels of UVA and the intense exposure to it puts a person at greater risk of developing skin cancer than spending hours in the sun.
What are the risk factors for developing skin cancer?
- Fair skin - having less pigment in the skin increases the risk that the skin will be damaged by the sunlight. If you have blond or red hair, light colored eyes or freckle easily, you may be at greater risk of developing skin cancer.
- History of sunburns - data shows that if you have experienced more than five sunburns, you may be at a risk of developing skin cancer. A sunburn is the body's attempt to heal itself from the sun's damage to the skin.
- Excessive sun exposure - even a person who is darker skinned may have a risk of skin cancer with long exposure to the sun without protection.
- Moles - people with multiple moles that are irregular in shape and large have increased risk of cancer of the skin.
- Sunny or high-altitude climates - living in sunny, warm climates or in higher elevations where the sunlight is stronger, increases risk.
- Precancerous skin lesions - having lesions such as actinic keratosis which is more common on the face, hands and lower arms
- Personal history of skin cancer - having a skin cancer once puts you at risk of developing another either in the same location or in another spot within two to three years.
- Family history of skin cancer - a parent or sibling with skin cancer puts you at increased risk. Melanoma carries the greatest risk of family recurrence.
- Fragile skin - skin that has been previously damaged by burns, injury or weakened by therapies for psoriasis or eczema may be at higher risk for sun damage.
- Weak immune system - people with a weak immune system such as AIDS/HIV or after immunosuppression or chemotherapy may be at increased risk
- Age - risk of developing skin cancer increases with age due to decreased ability of skin to repair after damage. Skin cancers can occur at any age.
What are the warning signs of skin cancer?
- A wart-like growth that crusts and occasionally bleeds.
- A persistent, scaly red patch with irregular borders that may crust or bleed.
- An open sore that bleeds and crusts and persists for weeks.
- An elevated growth with a central depression that occasionally bleeds and may increase in size.
- An open sore that does not seem to heal.
- A persistent, scaly red patch with irregular borders.
What are the types of skin cancers?
- Squamous cell carcinoma - the second most common form of skin cancer with a quarter of a million cases diagnosed yearly. In studies, over 96% are localized and can be treated with local removal and close monitoring. The other cases can spread to other areas of the body and can be fatal.
- Basal cell carcinoma - the most common form of skin cancer with nearly 800,000 new cases found each year. When these are detected early, excision is usually curative and is usually not life threatening.
- Melanoma - the most serious form of skin cancer with over 26, 000 new cases in women and nearly 34,000 cases in men yearly. The majority of these lesions are brown or black in color. This is the type of skin cancer that most likely will spread to other areas of the body and be mostly likely to be deadly.
If you have spots or lesions on the skin that are worrisome, please see you physician soon.
More about Dr. Aulds
Donald G. Aulds, MD is an Obstetrician and Gynecologist and currently serves as the Medical Director for both the Women's Center and the Best Start Program of North Alabama. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Dr. Aulds completed his medical education at Louisiana State University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA and his Internship and Residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Ochsner Medical Foundation, New Orleans, LA.
Dr. Aulds has been an active member of the Huntsville Hospital Medical Staff since 1980.
