Skin cancer can develop on any part of the body that receives frequent sun exposure – the scalp, lips, ears, neck, chest, arms and hands, for instance. One of the areas most prone to skin cancer is the face. It can affect people of all skin tones, including individuals with darker complexions.
What Are the Types of Skin Cancer?
The majority of facial skin cancer are one of three types:
- Basal cell carcinomas affect the face, ears and scalp, and are characterized by a pearly, waxy bump; a flat, flesh-colored lesion; or a brown scar-like lesion.
- Squamous cell carcinomas are most typically found on the face, lips and ears. Signs include a firm, reddish nodule and a flat or ulcerated lesion with a scaly or crusted surface.
- Melanomas can occur anywhere, but are commonly found on the head or neck. Symptoms of facial melanoma include a mole that changes size or color, or bleeds; a brownish spot with dark speckles; a lesion with an irregular border and parts that appear red, blue, blue-black or white.
Make an appointment with a dermatologist if you notice any change to your skin that appear abnormal.
What Causes Skin Cancer?
Facial skin cancer is the result of mutations in the skin cells that cause them to grow out of control. The biggest risk factor for skin cancer is ultraviolet radiation from sunlight and tanning beds. Those with fair skin, a history of sunburns and excessive sun exposure, moles or a family history of skin cancer are more prone to developing it.
How Is Skin Cancer Treated?
Generally, skin cancers are treated by a dermatologist. Small lesions limited to the surface of the skin can often be removed with a simple skin biopsy. Other shallow skin cancers detected early can often be removed by freezing with liquid nitrogen or vaporizing with laser therapy. Excisional surgery, or Mohs surgery for larger growths, can also be effective in cutting out cancer without causing damage to the surrounding skin. When surgery isn’t an option, radiation therapy may be recommended. Chemotherapy involves the use of creams or lotions that contain cancer-killing drugs applied directly to the skin, and is especially effective in cancers that are confined to the top layer of skin.
Moh’s Surgery
Mohs surgery was developed by Dr. Frederic Mohs as a treatment for skin cancer in the late 1930s. Over the years, Mohs surgery has been embraced by surgeons as the single most effective technique for removing skin cancers. This is performed by specialized dermatologists.
Studies show Mohs surgery has a 98% or higher success rate for treating basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, the two most common types of skin cancers.
What Is Mohs Surgery?
The goal of Mohs surgery is to remove as much of the skin cancer as possible while removing the least amount the surrounding healthy tissue. Mohs surgeons inspect each layer of skin for cancer under a microscope to verify that all cancer cells have been removed at the time of surgery. This ensures that all traces of the skin cancer are removed at the time of surgery while preserving the healthy skin around the skin cancer.
After the cancer is removed, the Moh’s surgeon may elect to reconstruct the defect at the same time. For more extensive cancers, in sensitive areas, or based on patient preference, a referral may be placed to a Facial Plastic Surgeon for reconstruction.
Reconstruction: What to Expect
Reconstruction following Mohs surgery can be simple and accomplished in a short procedure with minimal downtime and wound care. In some cases, it can involve a series of multi-stage procedures, such as flaps or grafts, to achieve functionally sound and aesthetically pleasing results.
The reconstructive surgery typically takes place within a week after the Mohs surgery, but this may vary for each patient and would be scheduled accordingly. Since it is hard to predict how deep the cancer cells go or how involved the reconstruction needs will be, patients should plan to be available for a whole day for the Mohs surgery.
Call Aspen Facial Plastic Surgery at (801) 567-0516 for more information or to schedule an appointment.