Physician Plastic Surgeon Surgery
More than 500,000 new cases of skin cancer are reported each year with 80% of those cases appearing on the face, head, or neck which can lead to disfiguring as well as being dangerous to the patient.
Primary Causes of Skin Cancer
Anyone can get skin cancer-no matter what your skin type, race or age, no matter where you live or what you do. But your risk is greater if...
• Your skin is fair and freckles easily.
• You have light-colored hair and eyes.
• You have a large number of moles, or moles of unusual size or shape.
• You have a family history of skin cancer or a personal history of blistering sunburn.
• You spend a lot of time working or playing outdoors.
• You live closer to the equator, at a higher altitude, or in any place that gets intense, year-round sunshine.
• You received therapeutic radiation treatments for adolescent acne.
Squamous cell carcinoma is the next most common kind of skin cancer, frequently appearing on the lips, face, or ears. It sometimes spreads to distant sites, including lymph nodes and internal organs. Squamous cell carcinoma can become life threatening if it's not treated.
If you notice an unusual growth yourself, consult a plastic surgeon. A plastic surgeon can surgically remove the growth making sure that your final appearance is pleasing which you will want if your cancer is in a highly visible area. If a treatment other than surgical excision is called for, your plastic surgeon can refer you to the appropriate specialist.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Skin cancer is diagnosed by removing all or part of the growth and examining its cells under a microscope. It can be treated by a number of methods, depending on the type of cancer, its stage of growth, and its location on your body.
Most skin cancers are removed surgically, by a plastic surgeon or a dermatologist. If the cancer is small, the procedure can be done quickly and easily, in an outpatient facility or the physician's office, using local anesthesia. The procedure may be a simple excision, which usually leaves a thin, barely visible scar. Or curettage and desiccation may be performed. In this procedure the cancer is scraped out with an electric current to control bleeding and kill any remaining cancer cells. This leaves a slightly larger, white scar. In either case, the risks of the surgery are low.
If the cancer is large, however, or if it has spread to the lymph glands or elsewhere in the body, major surgery may be required.
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