The most common cancer in the United States, skin cancer affects more than five million people every year. Though most forms of the disease can be cured, some forms (most notably melanoma) can spread to other parts of the body if not properly treated. Schedule an appointment to speak with a skin cancer expert at Bayhealth.
Types of Skin Cancer
The form of skin cancer you have—and how to treat it—depends on where it began. The three most common types of skin cancer are named after the cells where they originate.
- Basal Cell Carcinoma: Basal cells are one of the three main types of cells located in the top layer (epidermis) of your skin. Although it’s the most common form of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma is also the most curable if diagnosed early.
- Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Forming in cells located in the epidermis, squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common form of skin cancer. If diagnosed early, squamous cell carcinoma can be cured.
- Melanoma: Originating in melanocytes, which are among the three main types of cells located in the epidermis, melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. While it’s less common than other types of the disease, melanoma can quickly spread (metastasize) throughout the body.
Risk Factors & Prevention
While exact causes differ for melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers, the following are the two most common factors associated with all forms of the disease.
- Exposure to Ultraviolet (UV) Rays: Prolonged exposure to UV rays, which are part of the energy that comes from the sun, can increase your risk of developing skin cancer. Artificial sunlight created by sunlamps and tanning beds also emit UV rays.
- Fair Complexion: Having fair skin that tans poorly or burns easily can put you at greater risk for developing skin cancer. This is also the case if you have light or pale-colored eyes (such as blue or green), or fair hair, including red or blonde.
Additional risk factors for melanoma include the following.
- Moles: Having several moles (melanocytic nevi) on your body can put you at greater risk for developing melanoma. Regular exams with a dermatologist can help determine if your moles are changing in shape or color, which can indicate skin cancer.
- Race: Melanoma is around twenty times more common among white people than other races, according to the American Cancer Society.
Additional risk factors for nonmelanoma skin cancers (basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma) include the following.
- Actinic Keratosis: Often found on the head, neck, forearms, and the backs of your hands, actinic keratosis presents as scaly patches of skin caused from years of sun exposure. More common in individuals aged 40 and older, actinic keratosis can contribute to squamous cell carcinoma if left untreated for too long.
- Radiation Treatment: Receiving radiation to treat a different form of cancer can increase your risk of developing some form of skin cancer later on.
- Organ Transplants: People who have undergone an organ transplantation procedure are at greater risk for developing squamous cell carcinoma. This is largely due to the immunosuppressive medications that are vital to these procedures.
- Arsenic: A natural element in rocks and soil, arsenic can be found in various foods and drinking water around the world. Exposure to arsenic has been linked to skin cancer.
Family and Personal History
Having a family history of unusual moles (known as atypical nevus syndrome) or melanoma can increase your risk of developing skin cancer.
In clinical partnership with Penn Medicine’s Telegenetics Program, Bayhealth provides genetic counseling services to our patients. Using video-conferencing software that can be accessed on our Kent and Sussex campuses, genetic counselors from the Abramson Cancer Center will discuss your personal and family history with you and make genetic testing recommendations. These tests provide insight into your cancer risks and help our multidisciplinary medical team to determine the best treatment plan for your condition. To learn more about our telegenetics program or to participate, call us at 302-674-4401.
Signs & Symptoms
Skin cancer tends to develop on areas of the body most often exposed to sunlight, such as the face, scalp, neck, arms, hands and chest. Individuals with darker complexions may find signs of the disease on areas not normally exposed to sunlight, such as the bottoms of the feet and the palms of the hands. It can also develop beneath the fingernails and in genital areas. Although the characteristics of skin cancer can differ depending on several factors, the following are the most common signs for each of the three main forms of the disease.
Signs of basal cell carcinoma include the following.
- Waxy bumps on your skin.
- Flat, scar-like lesions that are either flesh-colored or brown.
- Sores that bleed, scab over, heal, and return.
Signs of squamous cell carcinoma include the following.
- Red nodules on your skin that are firm to the touch.
- Flat, scaly lesions.
Signs of melanoma include the following.
- Darkly speckled, brownish spots.
- Moles that bleed or have changed in size, color, or texture.
- Lesions with irregular borders and parts that are differently colored.
- Lesions that continuously itch or burn.
- Darker lesions occurring on your palms, soles, fingertips or toes.
- Darker lesions occurring on your mouth, nose, vagina, or anus.
Speak with your dermatologist about signs and symptoms of skin cancer, or schedule an appointment with a Bayhealth cancer expert to discuss treatment options.
How We Diagnose Skin Cancer
Our cancer experts use the following procedures to identify most types of skin cancer.
- Physical Exam: An examination of the size, shape, color, texture and location of your skin changes will determine if further testing is needed.
- Biopsy: A surgeon removes part or all of the suspicious area so that it can be tested by a pathologist. For nonmelanoma skin cancers, a biopsy that removes the entire growth could eliminate your cancer risk entirely.
If skin cancer is discovered, further testing may be required in order to determine the stage of the disease and whether it has spread.
Treatment Options
Our multidisciplinary team works collaboratively to outline a treatment plan tailored to your specific needs. Experts from a range of specialties will discuss your condition and determine the best plan of action. Factors we consider when developing your treatment plan include the stage and location of the cancer and your personal medical history.
Treatments for skin cancer include the following.
Medical Therapy
Our board-certified oncologists prescribe your medical therapy, and our highly trained nursing staff administers that therapy intravenously, orally or through injection.
Among the medical treatments we provide are the following.
- Targeted Drug Therapy: This type of cancer treatment uses drugs to “target” cancer cells without affecting normal cells.
- Chemotherapy: This drug treatment uses powerful chemicals to kill fast-growing cancer cells in your body.
- Immunotherapy: This treatment option boosts your immune system, empowering it to fight and destroy cancer cells.
Radiation Therapy
Our team of board-certified radiation oncologists may use external beam radiation or high-dose rate brachytherapy in combination with other treatments to address your cancer. Employing sophisticated technology, our therapists concentrate high-energy beams of radiation on the precise parts of your body affected by disease. This safe and accurate procedure may be administered routinely over a period of days or weeks.
Surgical Approaches
Our specialized surgery team uses the latest in minimally invasive techniques to remove your skin cancer. Among the surgical treatments we provide are the following.
- Cryosurgery: Some early stage skin cancers (as well as actinic keratoses) can be eliminated using liquid nitrogen, which freezes and kills the tissue. When the treated area thaws, the cancerous growth should easily fall away.
- Excisional Surgery: Most types of skin cancer can be removed by cutting out (excising) the tissue affected by cancer as well as some of the surrounding healthy skin.
- Mohs Surgery: Also known as Mohs micrographic surgery, this procedure involves carefully removing thin layers of cancerous skin for immediate analysis under a microscope. Surgery continues until cancer cells are no longer detected.
- Curettage & Electrodesiccation: During this procedure, your surgeon uses a sharp-edged instrument (called a curette) to scrape away layers of cancerous skin, avoiding as much of the surrounding healthy tissue as possible. An electric needle (electrode) is then used to pinpoint and destroy any remaining cancer cells.
- Photodynamic Therapy: A combination of light-sensitive medicine and a focused laser light are used to isolate and destroy cancer cells in your skin.
- Reconstructive Surgery: Our surgeons work to rebuild and restore affected areas of your body, depending on the nature of the surgical removal. There have been several innovations in reconstructive surgery in recent years, ensuring you have many options.
Learn more about cancer treatment options at Bayhealth.
Support Services
Before, during, and after your cancer treatments, our experts remain dedicated to improving your quality of life. Our care team supports you in establishing healthy routines that help you stay in control of your daily symptoms. We also host support groups that provide patients and families opportunities to connect and share their experiences — because a strong network of support can help to make the realities of cancer more manageable.
- Cancer Support Community: A statewide non-profit organization, the Cancer Support Community is dedicated to helping people manage the emotional aspects of their cancer journey. Learn more about the Cancer Support Community.
Explore our classes, events, and support groups.
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are research studies that test cutting-edge drugs, procedures and technologies with the purpose of establishing new or better ways of treating cancer. The skilled nurses in our Clinical Research Program can help you find clinical trial options for your specific cancer.
Speak with a Bayhealth expert about cancer treatment options.