Skin Cancer: Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in man. Approximately 700,000 Americans develop this form of cancer. Skin cancer is the direct result of excessive sun exposure. The frequency of the cancer has increased in the past few decades which might be due to damage to the ozone layer in the atmosphere. Most common forms of skin cancer are: Basal cell cancers in 60% of cases, and  Squamous cell cancers in 30%

Diagnosis: Any suspicious lesion should be biopsied and sent for laboratory study by a pathologist. Punch biopsy is a procedure which is done by skin specialists, whereby a sample of skin is removed. This is done under local anesthesia. The hole is closed with a suture and heals very well. Basal cell cancer grows very slowly over many years and may lead to ulceration of the skin. It is called a "rodent ulcer." It is most frequent in persons over age 40. It causes a painless ulcer in the sun-exposed areas of the body which frequently bleeds. Squamous cell cancer is often preceded by a scaly skin lesion, which is pre-cancerous. It tends to form a lump in the skin and may be ulcerated, with a crust covering. This cancer can arise at sites of chronic skin irritation, like old ulcers, burn sites, etc.

Treatment: Surgery and resecting the lesion completely is the method of curing this problem. Mohs surgery refers to a meticulous study of tissues removed by a pathologist at the time of surgery. In this manner, complete excision can be performed with minimal damage to normal skin. Cryosurgery refers to freezing the cancerous tissue by using liquid nitrogen. This is most appropriate for very superficial cancers. Electrosurgery refers to thermal destruction of the cancers cells. Radiation Therapy is most appropriate for patients with larger cancers in whom surgery will be difficult and associated with disfigurement. Chemotherapy in topical form, using 5-FU cream on the lesion is most appropriate for the elderly who cannot tolerate other forms of treatment.

Prognosis: Skin cancers grow very slowly and can be cured with appropriate treatment. If left untreated, or if it reoccurs, it can cause a large ulcer on the skin, which could be very difficult to treat. Squamous cancer has a tendency to spread to lymph glands, and in rare instances, to other tissues, as opposed to basal cell which almost never metastasizes.

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