Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer to afflict the human body. The three most common types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and melanoma. It is known that UV radiation from the sun can cause these cancers and that UV protective sunscreen can have preventative effects for skin. Although skin cancer is most common on areas of the skin that are regularly exposed to sunlight, skin cancer can also appear on skin not regularly exposed to sunlight radiation.
Squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma are both typically treatable often through an outpatient procedure of removing the cancerous skin tissue, while melanoma is much more likely to spread and often requires more intensive treatment including radiation and chemotherapy. However, if detected early enough melanoma can also be cured simply using dermatologic surgery, which is why it is crucial to identify it as early as possible.
Melanoma is most often seen in a mole that has begun to change. The “ABCDE test” can be used to help determine a deleterious change to a mole. A is asymmetry, looking for any un-circular shapes. B is border, looking for any irregularities or patchy borders. C is color, moles should be a consistent color throughout. D is diameter, any mole with a diameter of larger than 6 millimeters or ¼ of an inch is typically seen to be at risk. And E is evolution, if the mole has changed over time. Checking to ensure that any moles do not reach any of the ABCDE criteria is important for ensuring that any possible melanomas are caught early.
Typically, melanoma affects Caucasian individuals more often than people of color. However, “although melanoma occurs less frequently in people with skin of color, the diagnosis is often associated with disproportionately elevated morbidity and mortality in these populations. This poor prognosis is likely multifactorial and due at least in part to atypical clinical presentations of melanoma in skin of color that have the potential to delay diagnosis, often resulting in more advanced disease” (Higgins, et al. 2019). One notable person of color who died of melanoma was Bob Marley, whose cancer started as a darker streak presenting on his toenail.
