Skin Cancer Archive

Phone applications that monitor suspicious moles for the deadly skin cancer melanoma may not be reliable. In a study, three out of four applications incorrectly classified 30% or more melanomas as unconcerning.

Zeroing in on who might be eligible for this first-line treatment.

For the first time, dermatologists now have official guidelines for Mohs surgery, a procedure that removes skin cancer while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue. The new Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for Mohs surgery, approved by a number of dermatologic associations, will help doctors better select patients for the procedure. "There can be a slight bias toward using it for almost all nonmelanoma skin cancers, since Mohs surgery offers the highest cure rate of any surgical procedure for skin cancer," says Dr. Tom Rohrer, a Mohs surgeon at Harvard-affiliated New England Baptist Hospital.

Q. My dermatologist is recommending Mohs surgery to remove a basal cell cancer on my nose. What does this involve?

A. Mohs micrographic surgery is named after Frederic Mohs, who developed the technique in the 1930s. It's a specialized surgical procedure used to eliminate skin cancers that spread locally (but do not spread through the body) and are likely to return unless all the cancer is cut out. The goal of Mohs surgery is to remove all of the cancer cells while preserving as much of the normal tissue as possible. To do this, the surgeon removes the cancerous tissue layer by layer, examining each layer under a microscope, until the outer edge of the removed layer (the margin) is free of cancer cells.

58 million of us have actinic keratoses. Now treatment is easier.

They look minor. They are usually pea-sized rough patches, often scaly and with surrounding redness, on sun-exposed skin. But actinic keratoses (AK), caused by too much sun exposure, are nothing to dismiss. "They can progress to skin cancer, or there can be so many that it's difficult to pick out lesions that are already skin cancers," says Dr. Suzanne Olbricht, associate professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School.

How to spot potential problems and get peace of mind.

Skin cancer may be your last health worry under winter's gray skies. But skin cancer checks need to be a year-round maintenance effort. "About 50% of melanomas are identified by patients, and even more are discovered if the skin is examined with the help of a partner," says Dr. Kenneth Arndt, a Harvard Medical School professor.�

Women are less likely than men to die from skin cancer, according to a study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Even after adjusting for earlier diagnosis in women, the female survival advantage persisted.

The scientists looked closely at four treatment trials for melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer. They found that women were 30% less likely to die overall from their melanoma. Of the estimated 8,790 deaths related to melanoma in 2011 in the United States, 35% were in women.

Q. Brown age spot on my face seems to be getting larger. Should I be concerned?

A. A brown-colored spot anywhere on the skin that's getting larger is always something to be concerned about. Most brown spots on the skin turn out to be nothing serious, but some are melanoma—a potentially fatal skin cancer. There are certain danger signs that increase the possibility that a brown spot is melanoma. It's called the ABCDE rule.

A Harvard expert says most people don't use enough.

If your summer reading list usually includes mysteries and the latest bestsellers, think about adding this selection: the label on your next bottle of sunscreen.

Minimize the chance of melanoma, the most dangerous skin cancer, with smart sun protection habits and regular checks for worrisome moles.

Have you had a bit too much sun for your own good? Decades of boating, fishing, hiking, golfing, and just plain drowsing on the deck contribute to your lifetime exposure and risk of developing skin cancer. But there are simple steps you can take now to reduce your risk and catch worrisome skin blemishes before they turn into a threat—particularly malignant melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer.

Q. I have a bad case of seborrheic keratoses on my back and chest. What can you tell me about this skin problem?

A. These growths on the skin can be unsightly and get irritated and bleed, but seborrheic keratoses (pronounced seb-o-REE-ik ker-ah-TOE-sees) are very common and noncancerous. Typically, they start as small yellow or tan bumps and then gradually turn dark brown or black and develop a wartlike surface. They appear most often on the face, shoulders, chest, and back. Seborrheic keratoses are usually a little bit raised, so they look like they've been stuck on the surface of the skin. Some Africans, African Americans, and other dark-skinned individuals get a variant of the condition called dermatosis papulosa nigra, which consists of many black lesions on the cheeks.