Watch out for skin cancer symptoms and check out their new growth, the latest health news

An elderly Chinese woman came to see me after noticing some pigmented lesions on her face. She was worried that some of them might be due to skin cancer.

Examination revealed suspicious nasal growth for a year or two.

It grew gradually and recently began to bleed every time she washed her face.

A biopsy confirmed skin cancer and the necessary treatment was given.

This is one of the common scenarios we encounter in our clinic.

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and more patients are now aware of their symptoms and are seeking medical attention for new skin growth.

Sometimes, some skin cancers grow slowly, so patients are unaware that they are there. Lesions are accidentally picked up when they visit a doctor for other problems.

Skin cancer is listed as one of the top 10 cancers diagnosed in Singapore.

According to the 2018 Singapore Cancer Registry Annual Report, between 2014 and 2018, non-melanoma skin cancer was the sixth most reported cancer in men and the seventh most common in women. There were 1,568 reported cases.

The top three skin cancers occur in the order of nasal cell cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. These are potentially more deadly.

Skin cancer can have a variety of symptoms. It may manifest itself as new growth that can be slow to fast.

The point to note is new growth or growth that changes and looks different.

There may be painful, itchy, bleeding, or irreparable wounds, or there may be no symptoms.

It may appear as an isolated red rash that does not respond to treatment, or as a mole with altered appearance or personality.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation causes DNA damage to the skin and causes skin cancer.

Therefore, it is not surprising that most skin cancers are commonly found in sun-exposed areas such as the nose, around the eyes, forehead, and exposed areas of the arms.

Protecting yourself from UV rays helps prevent skin cancer, as UV rays are still the most important and correctable risk factor for skin cancer.

Make your sunscreen smarter by applying a generous amount of a wide range of sunscreens with SPF 30 or higher to all exposed skin at least 15-30 minutes before going out to protect against both UVB and UVA.

Outdoors, sunscreen should be reapplied every 2 hours.

Avoid peak UV exposure during the day, stay shaded, and if possible, wear long-sleeved shirts, trousers, large-brimmed hats, and sunglasses to be sensitive to sunlight, if not more. Equally important.

Fortunately, skin cancer is more likely to be cured if detected early.

Performing regular self-checks is certainly helpful. In a bright room with a full-length mirror, examine your skin from head to toe every month.

Some of my patients can look in hard-to-see places or use their own mirrors with the help of their loved ones.

Many people use their mobile phones to take a snapshot of the growth they are interested in and allow it to be compared to the baseline.

Systematically examine the areas of the face, neck, front and back of the body, arms and legs, buttocks, and genitals. Remember areas such as behind the ears, under the arms, behind the thighs, between the toes and the soles of the feet.

Mole mapping can also be useful, especially if you have a lot of moles.

In a dermatologist’s clinic, this is done by scanning the body with a camera and recording a baseline image of the mole. It will then be compared regularly during the follow-up visit.

This allows early detection of suspicious growth and may reduce the need for multiple biopsies.

The writer is a dermatologist and Morse microsurgeon at the Dermatology and Surgery Clinic and was previously the leader of the Skin Oncology Group at the National University Cancer Institute in Singapore.