Skin cancer can occur anywhere on the body, but it is most common in skin that has been exposed to sunlight, such as the face, neck, hands and arms. Skin cancers mainly include basal cell carcinomas (80%), squamous cell carcinomas (16%) and melanomas (4%). Approximately 1.3 million Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer each year. A person with a family or personal history of skin cancer should visit the dermatologist to have an annual total body examination.
Skin cancer can be deadly, but nearly all skin cancer can be treated if it is detected and diagnosed early.
What is a Pre-cancer?
A number of abnormal but relatively harmless skin growths may be precursors of skin cancer. These may be precancerous lesions, benign tumors that mask or mimic more serious ones or malignant tumors that are at the moment just on the topmost layer of the skin. They are important to recognize, because they are warning signs of potential skin cancer.
The term "pre-cancer" is used because these abnormal areas of skin are more likely to turn malignant than healthy skin. Precancerous growths (lesions) are visible to the naked eye, and they look different from normal cells when examined under a microscope.
How We Can Help
We believe in empowering patients with the tools they need to achieve a victory over cancer. We provide individualized cancer treatment that is the most appropriate for your case. Our specialty physicians have the knowledge, expertise and compassion needed to deal effectively with malignant and non-malignant skin cancers.
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