8 things you need to know about skin cancer

Dermatologists answer your questions about skin cancer, sun safety and when to see your doctor.

Updated:: 2009-10-09 23:54

Published:: 2008-05-30 00:00

By: Janet Rowe

Types of skin cancer

Now that the countdown to summer vacation is well under way, make sure you know enough about skin cancer to danger-proof your dermis. We asked three Canadian dermatologists to answer your most-asked questions about sun and skin care.

1. What are the types of skin cancer? Are they all dangerous?
Basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas are called nonmelanoma skin cancers, and they form as smooth or scaly bumps on sun-exposed skin. "Basal cell carcinoma is the most common cancer in the world," says Dr. Carmel Anderson, a dermatologist in Kelowna, B.C., who diagnoses and treats skin cancer. "It is not considered dangerous: if you don't take care of it, your ear could fall off but you generally don't die from it."

Squamous cell is more dangerous because there is a small chance of it spreading to the blood or internal organs. That's also the danger with melanoma, a more aggressive type of skin cancer that can start in moles. It can spread quickly and is about as lethal as breast cancer. But if either squamous cell or melanoma are caught early, they are easily treated, says Anderson.

2. Why do men and women get skin cancers in different places?
"It depends on where the sun-exposed areas are," says Dr. Marlene Dytoc, a dermatologist in private practice in Edmonton. So skirt- and shorts-loving women have more skin cancers on their legs, while shirt-doffing men have to watch their torso and back. Both sexes develop skin cancers on the head and neck.

3. How often should I check my skin?
About once a month, and ask your doctor to do it at your annual physical. Melanomas in particular can grow in a matter of weeks, so people at risk really should be checking monthly, says Dr. Lynn From, a dermatologist and skin pathologist at Women's College Hospital in Toronto.

Dytoc even recommends a daily scan. Ask a friend or family member to check your back and, if you're in the high-risk group or have a mole on your scalp, ask her to check your head. Use a hair dryer on the cold setting to part hair. Dermatologists also recommend taking photos and bringing them to your annual physical.

Check your back, says From, using two mirrors -- a large mirror and a cosmetic mirror. Stand with your back to the larger mirror and raise the smaller one just above your head, tilting it to see your back.

4. So who's most at risk?
"People who have a lot of moles [some of which can morph into melanomas]," says From, "as well as the blond pale people who burn in the sun and anyone with a family history of skin cancer." The rates are much lower in those with darker skin. Since melanomas and other skin cancers are caused by genetic factors in addition to sun exposure, everyone should use sun protection and check skin regularly.

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