Dermatology & Cosmetology

Non melanoma skin cancer and precancerous conditions of skin

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Non-melanoma skin cancer is a malignant tumour that starts in cells of the skin. Malignant means that it can spread, or metastasize, to other parts of the body.Pre-cancerous conditions are diseases or syndromes that might develop into a cancer, so it’s important to monitor your health.For basal cell carcinoma, two or more of the following features may be present, an open sore that bleeds, oozes, or crusts and remains open for several weeks, a reddish, raised patch or irritated area that may crust or itch, but rarely hurts, a shiny pink, red, pearly white, or translucent bump, a pink growth with an elevated border and crusted central indentation, a scar-like, white, yellow, or waxy area, often with a poorly defined border. Squamous cell carcinoma can often crust, bleed, and appear as, a wart-like growth, a persistent, scaly red patch with irregular borders that may bleed easily, an open sore that persists for weeks, an elevated growth with a rough surface and a central depression.

Researchers estimate that 5.4 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, were diagnosed in 3.3 million people in the United States in 2012. It is estimated that 137,310 new cases of melanoma, 63,440 noninvasive (in situ) and 73,870 invasive, will be diagnosed in 2015. Five-year survival rates for regional and distant stage melanomas are 63 percent and 16 percent, respectively. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 65,000 people a year worldwide die from melanoma. The annual cost of treating non-melanoma skin cancer in the U.S. is estimated at $4.8 billion, while the average annual cost of treating melanoma is estimated at $3.3 billion.