What To Look For

May is skin cancer awareness month. It is also the start of warmer weather and sunnier days. This is the third and final blog post about sun and skin safety. Don’t forget to check out the first two.

There are three main types of skin cancer, depending on which cells are affected. Basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and malignant melanoma.

Skin Safety Tip #5

Have your family doctor investigate any lesions you are concerned about. 

• Early detection is important to allow for early diagnosis and treatment. But what are you supposed to look for?

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common, affecting 50-60 000 Canadians every year. It appears most often in sun exposed areas of the skin (although can occur in non sun-exposed areas), most often on the face, head, and neck. It can appear in a number of ways:

• open sore that remains open for weeks
• shiny nodule that is most often pink, white, or red (may even have its own blood vessels)
• pink or red patch or growth
• tight scar-like areas

There are multiple treatment options. If untreated, however, BCC can invade local bone and tissue.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common form of skin cancer (around 20 000 Canadians affected each year). They most commonly appear on sun-exposed areas of the body. It can appear in a number of ways:

• wart-like growth with crust
• scaly red patch with irregular borders
• open sore that remains open for weeks
• an elevated growth with central indentation or depression

 If detected and treated early, 95-98% can be cured. If left untreated, it can lead to disfigurement and can be fatal.

Malignant melanoma is the most rare, but most dangerous form of skin cancer. Over 5 000 Canadians are diagnosed each year, and over 900 Canadians die from melanoma each year. It is most often found on the backs of men and the legs of woman. Excessive UVR exposure, especially previous sunburns, have been attributed to the cause of melanoma. 

​For melanoma, follow the ABCDEs: