Your Skin: Spotting Danger

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Your Skin Spotting Danger

• Martin Vatheuer, MD
• www.myDoctorV.com

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Skin

• Largest Organ of your Body !
• Many Important Roles
• Maintenance of hydration
• Defense against infection
• Protection of internal organs
• Temperature regulation
• Sensation of external stimuli
• (touch, heat, cold)

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Layers of Skin
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Decision Tree
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Benign Skin Lesions (NOT Cancer)

• Dysplastic Nevi (atypical moles)
• SKs
• AKs (Precancerous, or early cancer)
• Warts, dermato-fibromas, etc.

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Skin Cancer

• Cancer the uncontrolled growth and invasion of
  cells, sometimes with metastasis (spread to other
  areas via blood or the lymphatic system).

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3 Major Types of Skin Cancer

• Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC)
• Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC)
• Melanoma
• Most dangerous!

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Skin Cancer Statistics
U.S. Estimated Skin Cancer Cases (2007)
Melanoma 60,000
Basal Cell Carcinoma 250,000
Squamous Cell Carcinoma 850,000
From ACS Facts and Figures 2007
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Skin Cancer Statistics
U.S. Estimated Skin Cancer Deaths (2007)
Basal and Squamous Cell Carcinoma 2,000
Melanoma 8,110
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Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC)

• Appearance
• Wart-like growth, scaly red patch(es), open
  sore(s)
• Often appear as elevated growths with a central
  depression

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SCC

• Major Risk Factors
• Exposure to sunlight/sunburns
• Especially - face, neck, bald scalp, hands,
  shoulders, arms,back, rim of ear, and the lower
  lip
• Fair skin
• Blonde or red hair
• Blue, green or gray eyes
• Frequent or long exposure to sun (2)

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Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC)

• Appearance
• Open sores, reddish patches, shiny bump, pink
  growth, scar like area

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BCC

• Major Risk Factors
• Exposure to sunlight/sunburns
• Especially - face, neck, bald scalp,
  hands,shoulders, arms, back, rim of ear, and
  lower lip
• Fair skin
• Blonde or red hair
• Blue, green or gray eyes
• Frequent or long exposure to sun (2)

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Melanoma

• About Melanoma
• More likely to metastasize than other types of
  skin cancer
• Increased ability to spread makes melanoma more
  dangerous
• When melanoma spreads to other parts of the body,
  it becomes very difficult to treat (3) 

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Melanoma

• Major Risk Factors
• Exposure to ultraviolet radiation
• Sun
• Tanning Lamps
• No ethnic group is immune to skin cancer
• Other Risk Factors
• Blonde or red hair blue, green, or gray eyes
• People with more moles are at a higher risk
• Family and personal history of melanoma
• Fair complexion

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