Non-melanoma Skin Cancers, Symptoms, Causes, and Therapies
Written By: Cole Stotlar
Introduction to Skin Cancer
Skin cancer involves abnormal growth of cells and, in most cases, occurs in skin exposed to the sun but can also be found in areas of an individual’s skin that are not necessarily exposed to sunlight. There are three main types of skin cancer: squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma (both nonmelanoma), and melanoma. A person can minimize the risk of developing skin cancer by avoiding or limiting ultraviolet radiation exposure. Examining the skin when one notes any suspicious change can help detect cancer at an earlier stage, giving an individual ample time for successful treatment.
Melanoma Vs. Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer
Melanoma is a type of cancer that occurs in the melanocytes of the skin. It is defined as a rumor of melanin-forming cells. Nonmelanoma skin cancer is referred to as any cancer that appears in the basal and Merkel skin cells (Narayanan et al., 2010.) Melanoma skin cancer can occur in both areas exposed to UV light from the sun and those unexposed, while nonmelanoma solely occurs in the body parts exposed to UV light.
Precancerous Skin Conditions
Precancerous skin conditions are the changes that occur to skin cells that make them tend to develop cancer. If not treated, actinic keratosis may develop to nonmelanoma skin cancer known as squamous cell carcinoma (Esteva et al., 2017.) It appears in areas exposed to the sun like the ears, face, neck arms, bald scalp, and the back of hands.
Symptoms and Signs
Actinic keratosis typically occurs as a small and rough patch on the skin with the texture of sandpaper. The patches tend to get bigger and turn brown or red (Narayanan et al., 2010.) Many patches can appear clustered in one area.
Causes
- Weak immune system
- Old age
- Exposure to ultraviolet rays
Treatment
- Cryosurgery
- Photodynamic therapy
- Surgical excision
- Active surveillance
- Medicine that is put directly on the skin such as a cream or gel
Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer
This entails all kinds of skin cancer, which are not a melanoma (Madan, 2010). This includes; squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma.
Symptoms and Signs
- A growth with small blood vessels on its surface
- Scaly red patches
- A sore which does not heal or that reappears after healing
Causes
- Being overexposed to the sun and UV rays
- Weak immune system
- Having been previously diagnosed with skin cancer
- Being exposed to chemicals like arsenic and creosote
Treatment
The treatment of nonmelanoma skin cancer highly depends on the type of cancer but always entails surgery to get rid of the cancerous cells.
Conclusion
The only way to discover and treat skin cancer at an early or developing stage is to regularly examine the skin for new growths, changes in shape, size, or even color of the available spot. If one comes across anything suspicious, they should discuss it with a dermatologist or their primary care physician. Despite that, in most cases, cancer develops in the areas usually exposed to the sun; it can also develop in hidden areas. In addition to examining the face, legs, trunk, and neck, it is crucial to examine other hidden areas like underneath the nails, spaces between toes, soles of the feet, palms of the hands, eyes, and even genitals.
Sources
Esteva, A., Kuprel, B., Novoa, R. A., Ko, J., Swetter, S. M., Blau, H. M., & Thrun, S. (2017). Dermatologist-level classification of skin cancer with deep neural networks. Nature, 542(7639), 115.
Madan, V., Lear, J. T., & Szeimies, R. M. (2010). Non-melanoma skin cancer. The lancet, 375(9715), 673–685.
Narayanan, D. L., Saladi, R. N., & Fox, J. L. (2010). Ultraviolet radiation and skin cancer. International journal of dermatology, 49(9), 978–986.
