< PreviousUV rays epidermis basal cells squamous cells dermis melanocyte basal cell melanin Skin Cancer Types of Skin Cancer _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Basal Cell Carcinoma ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ Squamous Cell Carcinoma ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ Melanoma ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ Source: National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-6871Screening for Skin Cancer Skin cancer screening involves a visual examination in which a medical professional looks at a person’s skin to see whether there are any growths or other changes that are not normal and might suggest skin cancer. During an exam, doctors look for moles and other spots that are different in color from the rest of the skin. They follow the ABCDE rule to look for: • A = Asymmetry (one half of the mole does not match the other half) • B = Border irregularity (edges of the mole are ragged, notched, or blurred) • C = Color (pigmentation of the mole is not uniform, with varying degrees of tan, brown, or black) • D = Diameter of more than ¼ inch (about the size of a pencil eraser) • E = Evolving (the mole is changing over time) Skin Cancer Screening Ask Your Doctor People who are concerned about getting skin cancer or who notice any changes to their skin should talk to their doctor. They should tell their doctor of any risk factors for skin cancer, including any changes to the appearance of moles, past history of sunburns or skin cancer, family history of melanoma, and use of tanning beds. history of skin cancerchanges in molesuse of tanning bedshistory of sunburn Facts About Skin Cancer Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. Basal and squamous cell carcinoma are the most common types of skin cancer and they make up more than 98% of all cases of skin cancer. They can be treated and rarely result in death—less than 0.1% of patient deaths. Melanoma is much less common than the other types of skin cancer but is more likely to result in death. Like many cancers, the risk of melanoma increases with age. Skin cancer occurs more commonly in men than in women, and among people who: • Have blonde or red hair, light eye color, fair skin that freckles & sunburns easily • Use indoor tanning beds • Have a past history of sunburns or skin cancer • Have a family history of melanoma • Have abnormal moles or more than 100 moles Is screening necessary? More research needs to be done to better understand the potential benefits and harms of visual skin cancer examinations. Doctors should use their judgment when deciding whether to screen their patients for skin cancer. Potential harms may include procedures such as skin biopsy or excision (which means removal of a section of skin) for lesions that do not turn out to be cancer. A biopsy involves taking a sample of tissue to examine it more closely for possible cancer. Biopsies and excisions may cause scarring. melanoma Source: National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-6877Skin Cancer Screening Ask Your Doctor _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Is screening necessary? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Facts About Skin Cancer • _________________________________________________________________________ • _________________________________________________________________________ • _________________________________________________________________________ • _________________________________________________________________________ • _________________________________________________________________________ • _________________________________________________________________________ Screening for Skin Cancer _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ ABCDE Rule: A = ______________________________________________________ B = ______________________________________________________ C = ______________________________________________________ D = ______________________________________________________ E = ______________________________________________________ Source: National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. 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