Screening for Skin Cancer
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Video Description:Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in America today. How will your doctor know if you have it?
Transcript:Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in America. So how do you know if you have it? While an abnormal growth on the skin might suggest skin cancer, only a surgical procedure called a biopsy can confirm the diagnosis. This is extremely important because with early detection, skin cancer can be almost always be cured! The first step to ensuring that cancer doesn’t go undetected is to have your physician or dermatologist examine your skin at least once a year. People with a family history of skin cancer and those who spend excessive time in the sun are more at risk for developing the disease, but anyone can get it—so it’s imperative to examine your own skin for warning signs every month. To perform a self-examination, stand in a well lit room. Examine the front of your body thoroughly. It can help to use a blow dryer to ruffle your hair and inspect your scalp. Use a hand mirror to inspect your shoulders, back, buttocks and legs. Finish by examining your hands and nails. While you’re examining your skin, look for changes in the appearance of any birthmark, mole or blemish. Also watch out for any new growths. Non-melanoma skin cancers can manifest as sores that don’t seem to heal. A brown streak beneath the nail or a waxy scar on the body can also be signs of cancer. And watch out for flat lesions that are hard to the touch or translucent growths with rolled up edges. When performing a self-examination, pay particular attention to any moles on your body. Moles may be indicative of the most serious form of skin cancer, melanoma. If a mole appears to be asymmetrical or multi-colored, if it grows in diameter or has irregular borders, it may be a melanoma.It’s not necessarily easy to diagnose skin cancer on your own, so remember to get your skin checked by a dermatologist at least once a year.During your appointment, your dermatologist will examine your skin closely, possibly using a handheld microscope-like device,A biopsy is a fairly simple in-office or outpatient procedure. There are several different ways in which a biopsy can be performed, but in general biopsy involves numbing the suspicious area and removing part—or all—of a lesion for microscope examination. A biopsy is the only way to definitively tell if skin cancer is present called a dermascope. If he thinks that a lesion may be cancerous, he will take a biopsy. A biopsy is a fairly simple in-office or outpatient procedure. There are several different ways in which a biopsy can be performed, but in general biopsy involves numbing the suspicious area and removing part—or all—of a lesion for microscope examination. A biopsy is the only way to definitively tell if skin cancer is presentIf your biopsy shows cancerous cells, your doctor will discuss various treatment options with you. Remember, skin cancer is usually curable if caught early, so stay up to date on the appearance of your skin and see your doctor if you notice any changes.
Category:Cancer/Skin Cancer
Tags:skin cancer, cancer, dermatologist, cancer screening, screening for skin cancer, diagnosing cancer, diagnosing skin cancer, skin examination, early detection, biopsy, 
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