Skin cancer, the most common of all cancers in the world, can manifest itself with non-healing wounds, newly formed moles, or changes in existing moles. Our Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery Specialist, who said that early diagnosis of skin cancer is possible with mole follow-up, emphasized that the main treatment method for different types of skin cancers is surgery.

Moles can sometimes cause skin cancer. For this reason, it is important for the health of the patient to be checked regularly and to remove the mole if diagnosed. Reminding that it is normal and expected to see new moles on the body until the thirties, our Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery Specialist underlined that moles seen after this age should be kept under control because they can cause skin cancer.
Yeditepe University Hospitals Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery Specialist gave the following information on cancers that can be seen basically in two types, melanoma, and non-melanoma: “Melanomas arise from melanocyte cells that give the skin its color. Melanoma cancers are manifested by the formation of new moles or structural changes in moles. Non-melanoma cancers are manifested by non-healing wounds or those that heal and recur.”

Follow Up of Moles is Vital

Stating that early diagnosis of skin cancer is easier than other types of cancer, our specialist said, “In skin cancers detected at an early stage, the rate of complete recovery with surgical treatment is quite high.” Yeditepe University Koşuyolu Hospital Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery Specialist continued his words as follows: “People can check the parts of their body that they can see themselves, and other parts with the help of mirrors. If the moles are asymmetrical, their borders are irregularly indented, contain different color tones, are more than 6 mm in width, and show growth expansion, a physician should be consulted.”

Explaining that early intervention after early diagnosis can prevent the tumor from growing and spreading to other regions, our specialist gave the following information about the treatment approach: “The basic treatment of skin cancers is the surgical removal of the lesion completely at sufficient depth and maintaining a certain solid margin from the surrounding tissue. Especially in patients who are diagnosed in the early period and undergo surgery, the chance of permanent treatment is much higher. At almost every stage, surgery has its place in the appropriate patient. In addition, there are also methods such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy that can be used as an alternative to surgery or together.”

Avoid Exposure to the Sun in Childhood

Reminding that skin cancer, which was previously known as a disease of advanced age, has recently started to be seen under the age of 40, Yeditepe University Hospital Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery Specialist made the following explanations about risk factors: “Those who are exposed to the sun regularly and for long periods (especially in childhood) carry a higher risk. In some genetically inherited cases, skin cancer can be seen even in childhood. Those with light skin type (those who cannot tan and get sunburned), those who have been exposed to the sun for a long time and have a history of sunburn, those who live in sunny areas, those who have many moles, and those who have abnormal-looking moles, those who have a family history of skin cancer, those who have had skin cancer before, those who have a disorder in the immune system, those who use immunosuppressive drugs (such as organ transplant patients) and those who have been exposed to radiation are considered riskier.”