Skin Cancer Prevention

Skin cancers are one of the most common types of cancer in the US today. But the reality is that most skin cancers are preventable. Stellar board certified dermatologist and fellowship trained Mohs surgeon Dr. Jamie McGinness provides skin cancer treatments to patients in Shiloh, IL; St. Louis, MO, and other places.

Tips for Prevention

Avoid Direct Sun Exposure

As far as possible, avoid sun exposure during mid-day. The sun’s rays are strongest typically between 10 am and 4 pm. Schedule outdoor activities for other times of the day, even in winter or on a cloudy day. Avoiding the sun at its strongest will help avoid the sunburns and suntans that cause skin damage and increase the risk of developing skin cancer.

Use Sunscreen Year-Round

Although sunscreens cannot filter out all the harmful UV radiation, they do play a vital role in an overall sun protection program. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher. Reapply sunscreen every two hours, or more often when swimming or perspiring. Use a generous amount of sunscreen in all exposed areas, including the backs of hands and neck, lips, and tips of the ears.

Wear Protective Clothing

When outdoors, cover your skin with dark clothes, particularly the arms and legs. Use a broad brimmed hat for extra protection. Specialized photo-protective clothing is also available. Consult a dermatologist to choose the appropriate specialized clothing. Using sunglasses is a good idea too because it can block both UVA and UVB rays.

Avoid Tanning Beds

Many people want a tanned look of the skin, and may want to use tanning beds. But it is strongly advisable to avoid tanning beds. Lights used in tanning beds emit UV rays, which can increase the risk of skin cancer. Board certified dermatologist Dr. McGinness provides detailed advice and tips to patients about how to prevent skin cancer.

Stay Alert for Sun Sensitizer Drugs

Some common prescription and non-prescription medications, including antibiotics, can make the skin more sensitive to sunlight. Therefore, check with the physician about the side effects of any medications you take. If they increase your sensitivity to sunlight, take extra precautions to protect your skin.

Periodic Skin Evaluation

Keep checking your skin often and visit a dermatologist periodically for a detailed evaluation. If you notice any changes to the skin, such as new skin growths or change in shape of the existing moles, bumps, freckles or birthmarks, report these to the dermatologist.

Sun Protection while Driving

A study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology showed that 53 percent of skin cancers in the US occur on the left, or drivers’ side of the body. The authors of the study said that the increase in left-sided skin cancers may be from the UV exposure acquired when driving a car.

Use transparent window film to screen out UVB and UVA without reducing visibility. But remember that it protects only when the windows are closed. Remarkable and board certified dermatologist Dr. McGinness receives patients from Shiloh, IL; St. Louis, MO, and other suburbs and neighborhoods in this part of the Midwest for skin care solutions.

If you would like to learn more about procedures and treatments at Metro East Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center by Board Certified Dermatologist Dr. Jamie L. McGinness please contact us here or call (618) 622-SKIN (7546)

Taking new patients in and around the greater St. Louis, Missouri and Illinois area: East St. Louis, Shiloh, Belleville, Millstadt, Saint Clair County, Madison County and more.

Skin Cancer Treatments From Dr. Jamie McGinness

Skin cancers can occur in different forms, requiring an individualized treatment approach in each case. More invasive treatments may be necessary in certain types of skin cancers, while others can be treated with a conservative surgical approach.

The surgeon’s goal will be to ensure complete removal of the cancerous tissue, while minimizing the impact on the cosmetic appearance of the treated area. Standout board certified dermatologist and fellowship trained Mohs surgeon Dr. Jamie McGinness provides skin cancer treatments to patients in Shiloh, IL; St. Louis, MO, and other neighborhoods and towns in this part of the nation.

Mohs Micrographic Surgery

Mohs micrographic surgery may be an ideal treatment option for skin cancers on the head and neck. Candidates typically have the cancer in a large area or the cancer is poorly defined or recurrent. The procedure in Mohs surgery involves precise removal of cancerous tissue layers until all the cancer cells are eliminated. Each removed layer is closely evaluated under a microscope, and layer removal is continued until no cancer cells are detected.

The advantage with Mohs surgery is that it allows 100 percent of the surgical margin to be microscopically examined. The high precision method involved in this procedure ensures minimal damage to healthy, non-cancerous tissue. Mohs surgery can be performed in-office, without any need for general anesthesia.

The procedure often requires several hours to complete because a detailed tissue analysis consumes a considerable amount of time for each tissue layer. Mohs surgery may cause superficial as well as structural damage to the affected area, which can be addressed with surgical reconstruction.

Excisional Surgery

Abnormal skin lesions can usually be excised in the surgeon’s office using local anesthesia. Shave removal technique in excisional surgery may be applied to remove raised growths, such as raised moles. A very sharp razor will be used along the skin surface to remove the growth.

Snip excision technique is also used for raised lesions, such as skin tags. The surgeon will firmly secure the growth using a pair of forceps, and pull it away from the body in a gentle way. A small set of curved scissors will lightly snip away the growth, cutting both under and around the region.

Full excision may be used for growths that have penetrated the deeper levels of the dermis or tumors that are malignant, such as in the case of melanoma.

Reconstructive Surgery

A surgery to remove skin cancer will typically be followed by a reconstruction procedure to repair the wound. Reconstruction may be needed in both Mohs surgery and excisional surgery cases. In a few cases, the surgeon may allow the surgical defect to heal on its own, while in many instances a straight line of stitches is all that may be required.

But in cases where lesions are removed from areas with little surrounding tissue, especially areas such as the nose and ear, straight line stitches may not work. In such cases, the surgeon may apply skin grafting, flaps, or other reconstructive techniques to repair the surgical defect.

Salient, committed, and board certified dermatologist Dr. McGinness receives patients for skin cancer treatment from Shiloh, IL; St. Louis, MO, and other places across the horizon in this amazing country.

Taking new patients in and around the greater St. Louis, Missouri and Illinois area: East St. Louis, Shiloh, Belleville, Millstadt, Saint Clair County, Madison County and more.

What Causes Skin Cancer?

Skin Cancer Causes

Skin cancer is the most prevalent form of all cancers in the US today. The number one cause of skin cancers is ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, but UV lighting from tanning beds is just as harmful. It is important to understand that sun exposure during the winter months puts an individual at the same risk as exposure during the summer time.

Basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers are primarily caused due to cumulative sun exposure. At the same time, episodes of severe sunburns, usually before age 18, may cause melanoma later in life. Less common causes of skin cancer include repeated exposure to x-ray radiation, scars from burns or disease, and occupational exposure to certain types of chemicals.

Board certified dermatologist Dr. Jamie McGinness provides safe, sagacious, and effective treatments for various types of skin cancers. Dr. McGinness is one of the recognized experts in Mohs micrographic surgery to remove skin cancers. He provides advanced skin care procedures to patients in Shiloh, IL; St. Louis, MO, and other areas across the horizon.

Risk Factors

While anyone may be inflicted with skin cancer, the risk is higher in people with fair or freckled skin that gets sunburns easily. People with light eyes and blond or red hair are also at a higher risk. In case of darker skinned individuals, the risk of skin cancer is considerably reduced.

Apart from skin complexion, other risk factors include having a family history or personal history of skin cancer, having an outdoor job, or living in a sunny climate. Individuals with a history of severe sunburns or having a presence of large and irregularly-shaped moles in various areas of the body are at a higher risk of melanoma.

UV Overexposure

UV light damages the DNA in the skin cells and may cause skin cancer. Overexposure to the sun or sunburn in childhood can contribute to the development of basal cell cancers. Even if the skin damage caused due to UV light during childhood does not show up at that time, it may cause skin cancer many years later.

People who work outdoors for a living, such as farm workers, builders and gardeners, are at an increased risk of developing squamous cell and basal cell cancers. Black or brown skinned people have a low risk of developing skin cancer because the pigment melanin in their skin gives them protection.

Other Causes

Regular use of sunlamps and sunbeds can increase the risk of developing some skin cancers. Individuals who have suffered from a skin cancer before are at risk of getting another one. This may either be a local recurrence or somewhere else on their body.

People who have undergone radiotherapy treatment for other conditions can sometimes get skin cancer later in life. Basal cell carcinoma may typically occur in such cases. People who take drugs that lower their immunity, for instance, after a kidney transplant, are at an increased risk of skin cancer. Judicious, amazing, and board certified dermatologist Dr. McGinness receives patients from Shiloh, IL; St. Louis, MO, and nearby areas.

Taking new patients in and around the greater St. Louis, Missouri and Illinois area: East St. Louis, Shiloh, Belleville, Millstadt, Saint Clair County, Madison County.

Types of Skin Cancer

Skin Cancer

Skin cancers can be of different types, and the first critical step for a treatment provider is to identify the type of skin cancer and develop an appropriate treatment program. Fantastic, golden, and board certified dermatologist and fellowship trained Mohs surgeon Dr. Jamie McGinness provides cutting edge treatments for various types of skin cancers to patients in Shiloh, IL; St. Louis, MO, and other areas.

Basal Cell Carcinoma

The most common type of skin cancer prevalent today is basal cell carcinoma. This cancer typically appears as red patches, open sores, or pearly bumps on the skin. Overexposure to UV rays often causes this irregular growth, but it may not spread beyond the original lesion.

Basal cell carcinoma is usually not life threatening, but if left untreated, it can invade surrounding or deeper structures, and develop into a permanent disfigurement. Signs of basal cell carcinoma may include:

A bleeding or weeping sore that does not heal
A persistent patch of crusty, red, or irritated skin
A shiny growth of any color
A crater-like pink growth with a rolled edge
A taut, scar-like area of skin
A new non-resolving growth on the skin

Dr. McGinness is a board certified dermatologist and fellowship trained Mohs surgeon providing treatments for basal cell carcinoma.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

This is the second most common type of skin cancer, and is typically non-metastatic. But just like basal cell carcinoma, it may cause serious disfigurements, if left untreated. In rare cases, this cancer may spread to other areas and become life threatening. The good thing is that treatment for this type of cancer has a high success rate, as long as the cancer is detected early.

Common signs of squamous cell carcinoma include:

A crusty, scaly red patch that does not heal, and may bleed
A crater-like growth that may bleed, and tends to grow rapidly
A crusty or bleeding open sore that does not heal
A growth, similar to a wart, which may crust and bleed
A new non-resolving growth on the skin

Timely treatment is vital for squamous cell carcinoma because it has the potential to grow wider and deeper, invade adjacent and deeper structures, even spread to other parts of the body.

Melanoma

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. Melanoma is usually dark colored and irregular in shape, and may resemble a mole. This cancer may also arise from existing moles in the body. Therefore, people with multiple atypical moles on their body may be at a higher risk of developing melanoma. Patients should see a dermatologist if they notice the appearance of an atypical mole, or a mole that is irregularly shaped.

Common signs of melanoma include:

A mole or mole-like growth with an asymmetrical shape
A dark growth with irregular, or scalloped, edges
A growth that contains variations in color within the same lesion
A growth that is larger than a pencil eraser in diameter
A growth that changes in size, shape, color, or elevation

Fantastic, diligent, and board certified dermatologist Dr. McGinness receives patients from Shiloh, IL; St. Louis, MO, and other communities and cities in this region.

Taking new patients in and around the greater St. Louis, Missouri and Illinois area: East St. Louis, Shiloh, Belleville, Millstadt, Saint Clair County, Madison County and more.

Skin Cancer Prevention

Monthly Archives: October 2017