Health News
Winter is here and the days are short. It may not be foremost on your mind, but checking for skin cancer should still be a part of your routine. If you notice any changes in your skin, talk with your primary care physician.
?About a million people in the U.S. are getting skin cancer each year,? says Nelson Goldberg, M.D., a surgeon specializing in plastic surgery and surgical oncology at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Dr. Goldberg presented a lecture on skin cancer and biopsies at Sinai Hospital?s Grand Rounds. ?You have a one in three chance of getting skin cancer before you die,? he says.
Most cases of skin cancer ? the basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma types - are nonfatal, Dr. Goldberg says. Malignant melanoma skin cancer can be fatal, though not always. Early detection and treatment is advised but biopsies are not always warranted, he says.
Doctors look for certain symptoms before requesting a skin biopsy. Those symptoms include bleeding or crusting of the area. When a biopsy is performed, a piece of the skin is removed for further examination and skin cancer can be diagnosed or ruled out.
?It is not uncommon for patients to ignore skin cancer if it is not bothering them,? Dr. Goldberg says. But small changes can grow into large, disfiguring ones. ?It is better to get them off when they are small,? Dr. Goldberg says.
-Sandra Crockett
- Many Americans Still Don't Use Sunscreen, Which Has Been Proven To Prevent Skin Cancer, The Most Common Cancer In The U.s.
Sunscreen has been proven to reduce the risk for all types of skin cancer and to prevent or delay signs of aging, but most Americans still don't use it regularly, according to a new study by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention....
- Slap On Sunscreen, Avoid Uv Rays This Memorial Day Weekend
This Friday has been designated "Don't Fry Day," a reminder to sun worshippers to be mindful of the dangers of skin cancer on Memorial Day weekend, the traditional start of the summer recreation season. The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention...
- November Is Healthy Skin Month!
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Did you know that your skin is the largest organ in the body? While most people try to pay attention to healthy lifestyle habits supporting other organs like the heart, very little thought goes usually goes towards care of the...
- Protecting Your Skin
Dermatologist Sean T. Gunning, M.D., addressed a full house at Wednesday?s Lunch and Learn session at the Alvin & Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute. Thanks to the graphic images he shared of skin damage, either aging or skin cancer-related, it?s a safe...
- Save The Wrapping
by Jill R. Adler, M.S. Manager, Community Health Education, LifeBridge Health So what?s the largest organ in the body? If you said skin, you win! The wrapping that covers our internal organs, protects them from injury and also provides a barrier between...
Health News
Skin Cancer and the Dark Days of Winter
Winter is here and the days are short. It may not be foremost on your mind, but checking for skin cancer should still be a part of your routine. If you notice any changes in your skin, talk with your primary care physician.
?About a million people in the U.S. are getting skin cancer each year,? says Nelson Goldberg, M.D., a surgeon specializing in plastic surgery and surgical oncology at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Dr. Goldberg presented a lecture on skin cancer and biopsies at Sinai Hospital?s Grand Rounds. ?You have a one in three chance of getting skin cancer before you die,? he says.
Most cases of skin cancer ? the basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma types - are nonfatal, Dr. Goldberg says. Malignant melanoma skin cancer can be fatal, though not always. Early detection and treatment is advised but biopsies are not always warranted, he says.
Doctors look for certain symptoms before requesting a skin biopsy. Those symptoms include bleeding or crusting of the area. When a biopsy is performed, a piece of the skin is removed for further examination and skin cancer can be diagnosed or ruled out.
?It is not uncommon for patients to ignore skin cancer if it is not bothering them,? Dr. Goldberg says. But small changes can grow into large, disfiguring ones. ?It is better to get them off when they are small,? Dr. Goldberg says.
-Sandra Crockett
- Many Americans Still Don't Use Sunscreen, Which Has Been Proven To Prevent Skin Cancer, The Most Common Cancer In The U.s.
Sunscreen has been proven to reduce the risk for all types of skin cancer and to prevent or delay signs of aging, but most Americans still don't use it regularly, according to a new study by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention....
- Slap On Sunscreen, Avoid Uv Rays This Memorial Day Weekend
This Friday has been designated "Don't Fry Day," a reminder to sun worshippers to be mindful of the dangers of skin cancer on Memorial Day weekend, the traditional start of the summer recreation season. The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention...
- November Is Healthy Skin Month!
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Did you know that your skin is the largest organ in the body? While most people try to pay attention to healthy lifestyle habits supporting other organs like the heart, very little thought goes usually goes towards care of the...
- Protecting Your Skin
Dermatologist Sean T. Gunning, M.D., addressed a full house at Wednesday?s Lunch and Learn session at the Alvin & Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute. Thanks to the graphic images he shared of skin damage, either aging or skin cancer-related, it?s a safe...
- Save The Wrapping
by Jill R. Adler, M.S. Manager, Community Health Education, LifeBridge Health So what?s the largest organ in the body? If you said skin, you win! The wrapping that covers our internal organs, protects them from injury and also provides a barrier between...