Skin Cancer

Symptoms often appear on the sun-exposed areas of the skin, but basal cell cancer can develop anywhere on the body.

These symptoms include:

• Pale, waxy bump
• Flat, flesh-colored growth that looks like a scar
• Dome-shaped skin growth that grows slowly (you may be able to see tiny blood vessels near the surface)
• Shiny, scaly patch that's pink or red
• Sore that bleeds and crusts but does not heal

Basal cell cancer is highly preventable. Most cases of skin cancer come from too much UV exposure from the sun or tanning bed use. Practicing sun safety and avoiding tanning beds helps decrease your risk for skin cancer. To help prevent cancer, get a skin cancer screening at your primary care provider. This screening can detect the condition in its early stages when it’s most treatable.

As the first comprehensive cancer treatment center in northern Indiana, we care for all aspects of basal cell cancer. Your treatment team will blend the latest cancer treatment with naturopathic medicine and other services to address every aspect of your well-being.

At Goshen Center for Cancer Care, the main treatment for basal cell cancer is radiation and surgery. With board certified radiation and surgical oncologists, you can rest assured we’re treating your cancer with expertise.

Squamous cell carcinoma can start off as actinic keratoses, which shows up as dry, scaly growths on sun-exposed parts of the body. Once this condition turns into skin cancer, symptoms include:

• Sore that bleeds and crusts but does not heal
• Flat, scaly skin patch
• Skin lump with a rough surface

UV light from the sun or tanning beds is the main cause of skin cancer, including squamous cell carcinoma. Other factors that increase the risk of skin cancer include burning rather than tanning, getting sunburned as a child and having light skin and hair.

When it comes to treating squamous cell carcinoma, our team works diligently to prevent it from spreading to other areas of the body. If the cancer has spread, we combine treatments to attack the cancer with different approaches to improve your outcome.

These treatments may include:

• Surgery – to remove the cancer from the skin
• Radiation therapy – to kill cancer cells within the body
• Medicated creams
• Cryosurgery – to freeze the cancerous growth
• Curettage and electrodessication – to scrape away the cancer and then destroy any remaining cancer cells with an electrical current

Mohs surgery, which removes the cancer and surrounding cells layer by layer until no cancer cells remain, and photodynamic therapy, which uses special lights and chemical treatments to kill cancer cells, are other treatment options. If these treatments are best for you, your doctor at Goshen Center for Cancer Care will connect you with a dermatologist who can perform these treatments.

Melanoma often starts as a change in an existing mole or as a new brown or black spot. It’s not always easy to recognize the symptoms of melanoma. The ABCDE system is a quick reference that helps people spot the symptoms of melanoma early.

They are:

• A – for asymmetry, a mole that is larger on one side than the other
• B – for borders with uneven or notched edges
• C – for color, a variety of colors. Most melanomas are either brown or black. However, melanomas can also be multi-colored, speckled, skin-colored, pink, red, purple, blue or white.
• D – for diameter, larger than 6 millimeters or the size of a pencil eraser
• E – for evolving, changes in size, color or thickness

In addition, itchy or bleeding moles can also be signs of cancer.

Overexposure to UV light, such as from the sun’s rays or tanning beds, is a primary cause of melanoma. After just five sunburns, the chances of getting skin cancer double. That’s why it’s important to take steps to protect your skin such as getting a skin cancer screening and practicing physical sunblock by wearing sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat and long-sleeved shirts.

Other risk factors for melanoma include:

• Blue eyes
• Blonde or red hair
• Fair skin
• Many skin moles – more than 100
• Family history of melanoma

Our specialists base melanoma treatment on the cancer’s stage. Knowing its exact location and if it’s affecting any other body parts is essential. Surgery is a main treatment, with immunotherapy and targeted therapy also being additional options.