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Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. Every year more than 1 million Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer, and every hour an American will die from melanoma, the most lethal form of skin cancer. Fortunately, skin cancers, including melanoma, can be successfully treated the earlier they are detected.
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Skin cancer is the abnormal growth of skin cells. It most often develops on skin that’s exposed to the sun. It can, however, also occur on areas of the skin that aren’t normally exposed to sunlight.
There are three major types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma—the most serious skin cancer.
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of non-melanoma skin cancer. It is also the most easily treated and the least likely to spread. Although it’s rarely fatal, it can cause extensive damage to surrounding tissue and bone if left untreated. It can also have a high reoccurrence rate. Most basal cell carcinomas are caused by long-term exposure to the sun.
Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common form of non-melanoma skin cancer. When caught early, squamous cell carcinoma is highly treatable and rarely causes additional problems. However, if left untreated it can grow large or spread to other parts of your body, causing serious complications. Most squamous cell carcinomas are caused by prolonged exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, either from the sun, tanning beds or lamps. Some can also result from viruses or chronic wounds.
Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. It develops in the cells that produce melanin (the pigment that gives your skin its color). Melanoma can also form in the eyes, and rarely, in internal organs. The exact cause of all melanomas isn’t known, but exposure to sunlight or tanning lamps and beds increases your risk significantly.
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The Skin Cancer Program at CentraState Medical Center offers state-of-the-art services, expertise, and technology for detecting, diagnosing, treating and helping patients recover from skin cancer.
Our multidisciplinary, integrated approach assures patients and their families of continuity of care and the convenience of finding everything under one roof in a friendly, attentive environment.
The skin cancer team is led by an outstanding group of board-certified physicians specializing in Medical Oncology, Dermatology, General Surgery, Plastic Surgery, and Radiation Oncology. Trained at leading academic medical centers, these doctors combine their expertise to evaluate and treat all stages of the disease. The team also includes Magnet-designated nurses credentialed in chemotherapy and certified in cancer care, and other professionals focused on patients’ physical, emotional and spiritual needs.
Because our focus is on the whole person, not simply the disease, we also offer complementary therapies to support self-healing and emotional well-being, while helping patients maximize the benefits of conventional treatment.
Prevention and early detection are significant components of the Skin Cancer Program. This includes our newest screening service—MoleSafe—a skin documentation system that uses total body photography to create an electronic record of your skin. This record (a digital melanogram) is used as a baseline for detecting changes in existing moles/lesions and spotting new ones. (To learn more, click on the MoleSafe brochure under Related Documents.)
CentraState is accredited by the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) Commission on Cancer (CoC), which sets the standards for cancer care programs nationwide and has recognized CentraState with an Outstanding Achievement Award.
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Risk Assessment & Symptoms
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If you have (or have had) "any" of the following you could be at higher risk for melanoma and other skin cancers:
- Sunburns (at least one blistering burn) as a child or adolescent.
- Fair skin and light colored eyes.
- A personal history of melanoma or other skin cancers.
- A family history of melanoma.
- Multiple moles.
- Atypical (oddly shaped) moles.
- A mole or lesion that is changing size or shape or is itching or bleeding.
- A history of UVA sunbed/tanning salon use.
Skin cancer develops primarily on areas of the skin that are exposed to sunlight. But it can also form on areas that aren’t typically exposed to the sun (palms, beneath your fingernails, spaces between your toes or under your toenails, and your genital area).
Cancerous skin lesions can appear suddenly or develop slowly. The speed at which they develop and how they look depends on the type of cancer.
Basal cell carcinoma
Usually appears as:
- A pearly or waxy bump on your face, ears or neck.
- A flat, flesh-colored or brown scar-like lesion on the chest or back.
Squamous cell carcinoma
Usually appears as:
- A firm, red nodule on the face, lips, ears, neck, arms or hands.
- A flat lesion with a scaly, crusted surface on the face, ears, necks, arms or hands.
Melanoma - Usually appears in men on the torso, head or neck. In women, it most often develops on the arms or legs.
Warning signs include:
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A large brownish spot with darker speckles located anywhere on the body.
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A mole located anywhere on the body that changes in color, size or feel or that bleeds.
- A small lesion (on the trunk or limbs) with an irregular border and red, white, blue or blue-black spots.
- Shiny, firm, dome-shaped bumps located anywhere on the body.
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Dark lesions on the palms, soles, fingertips and toes, or on mucous membranes lining the mouth, nose, vagina and anus.
When checking for melanoma it’s best to remember your ABCDEs.
Think that a mole on your body doesn’t look like it used to? Follow the ABCDE criteria from the American Academy of Dermatology to help determine if you should have it examined:
A is for asymmetry, where the sides of the mole differ in size, shape, color or thickness
B is for border irregularity or unsmooth edges
C is for color changes or variations
D is for a diameter greater than six millimeters (a quarter-inch or about the size of a pencil eraser)
E is for evolving color, shape, or size of the mole
Precancerous skin lesions
The most common precancerous skin lesion is actinic keratosis. It appears as rough, scaly, brown or dark-pink patch. It is most commonly found on the face, ears, lower arms and hands of fair-skinned people whose skin has been damaged by the sun.
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If you notice any suspicious changes in your skin, you should see your doctor immediately. Your doctor may suspect cancer by simply looking at your skin. However, the only way for your doctor or dermatologist to really determine whether a mole or lesion is skin cancer is to take a biopsy of your skin for analysis in a lab. A biopsy can usually be performed in a doctor’s office using a local anesthetic.
Skin cancer is either local (the cancer affects the skin only), or metastatic (cancer has spread beyond the skin). Because local skin cancers such as basal or squamous cell rarely spread, a biopsy is often the only test needed to determine the cancer stage. If you have a large growth that’s been there for a while, your doctor may do further tests to determine the extent of the cancer.
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Individual Treatment Options
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Each patient receives an individualized treatment plan based on the type of skin cancer, its size, location and the patient’s preference. Abnormal cells often are treated through simple surgical removal or topical medications. Many of these treatments require nothing more than a local anesthetic and can be performed right in the doctor’s office. Sometimes no treatment is necessary beyond an initial biopsy that removes the entire growth. Standard treatments for non-melanoma skin cancer (basal cell or squamous cell carcinomas) include:
Standard treatments for melanoma skin cancer include:
- Wide surgical excision—removes the cancerous tissue as well as a surrounding margin of healthy skin.
- Sentinel lymph node mapping (for deeper lesions)—helps to determine if the melanoma has spread to local lymph nodes.
- Chemotherapy.
- Biological therapy or immunotherapy—uses substances produced by the body or similar substances produced in the lab to boost the immune system to fight the cancer.
- Radiation therapy.
- New methods in clinical trials are sometimes used to treat skin cancer.
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Complementary & Supportive Services
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Dealing with the emotional and physical effects of cancer can be stressful, even isolating. To help patients and their families to better cope, we offer an array of supportive services, including:
- The Cancer Support Group
- Complementary therapies such as massage, T’ai Chi, Reiki, raindrop technique, and therapeutic touch.
- Classes focusing on wellness topics, such as stress management, healthy nutrition, physical fitness, and smoking cessation.
- The Cancer Navigator Program, which helps patients and their families through the cancer journey by providing guidance, support, and resource referrals.
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Prevention
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The best thing you can do to preserve the health and beauty of your skin and prevent skin cancer is to protect yourself from the sun. It is the number one cause of skin damage, aging and cancer. It’s best to begin protecting yourself from the sun at a young age (Eighty percent of a person’s lifetime exposure occurs before age 18), but it’s never too late to begin protecting yourself from the sun.
To help prevent skin cancer, follow these tips:
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Apply sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 or greater 30 minutes before sun exposure and then every few hours after.
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Select cosmetic products, sunglasses, and contact lenses that offer UV protection.
- Avoid direct sun exposure as much as possible during peak UV radiation hours between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
- Perform skin self-exams regularly to become familiar with existing growths and any changes or new growths. CentaState’s MoleSafe program can help you and your doctor to better monitor suspicious changes in your skin for early detection of melanoma and other cancers.
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MoleSafe—Advanced Screening for Early Detection of Skin Cancer
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CentraState is the first hospital system in New Jersey to offer MoleSafe—a breakthrough mole-mapping system for early detection of melanoma and other cancers.
Using a specialized digital camera, a trained nurse takes head-to-toe photos to create an electronic record of your skin. This record can be used during regular follow-up visits as a baseline for detecting changes in existing moles and lesions, as well as spotting any new ones.
Results are assessed and diagnosed by a melanoma dermatologist, and a detailed report is sent to your doctor that includes recommendations for treating and monitoring suspicious lesions.
Remember, early detection saves lives. To learn more about MoleSafe, click on the brochure under "Related Documents." To make an appointment, call (732) 308-0570. It could be the most important thing you ever do for your skin—and your health!
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