Dr Farideh Askari has a lot of experience in seeing, diagnosing and the treatment of different types of skin cancers, both Non Melanoma and Melanoma. All the NICE and BAD Guidelines are always considered and applied for all treatments.

 

On occasions referrals to other specialists, such as; Plastic, Maxillofacial, ENT and General Surgery is necessary depending on the Anatomic site and size of skin cancers. After removal of skin cancers and seeing the histopathology results, patients may need to be referred to secondary care for a MDT (Multi Disciplinary Team Meeting) for discussions to consider the need for potential further treatments.

 

Patients will always be supported throughout the process.

​

​

Types of Non melanoma skin cancer

Resources: Healthdirect.gov.au and Cancer.net

    

The most common are BCC & SCC. BCC and SCC are also called non-melanoma skin cancers. BCC represents more than 2 in 3 non-melanoma skin cancers, and around 1 in 3 are SCC.

 

There are other types of non-melanoma skin cancers, but they are rare.

1. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) begins in the lower segment of cells of the epidermis — your outer layer of skin. These tend to grow slowly, and rarely spread to other parts of the body.          

2. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) grows from the flat cells found in the top layer of your epidermis. SCC can grow quickly on the skin over several weeks or months. Bowen’s disease is an early form of SCC that hasn’t grown beyond the top layer of skin.

3. Merkel Cell Carcinoma

4. Cutaneous T cell Lymphoma

5. Cutaneous B cell Lymphoma

6. Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans

7. Sebaceous carcinoma

8. Angiosarcoma

 

 

Risk factors of Non melanoma Skin cancers

Resource: cancer.net

​

1. Sun exposure/ UV rays, UVB has a close link but UVA May play a role

2. Sun beds / Indoor Tanning, any use of related devices increases the risk

3. History of Sunburn

4. Skin type/ Fair skin, patients with fair complexion, blond or red hair, blue eyes and freckles have more risk

5. Gender, the number of older white men and younger white women who have developed skin cancers has increased in recent years

6. Age, most BCCs and SCCs appear after the age of 50

7. Race/ Ethnicity, white people are at more risk

8. Precancerous skin conditions, Actinic Keratosis as sun damaged areas and Bowens disease a premalignant skin condition could transform to skin cancers although the risk is minimal

9. Previous skin cancers

10. Inherited syndromes / Genetic conditions, certain rare genetic conditions are associated with an increased risk of developing basal cell carcinoma. These conditions include nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome, which is also called Gorlin syndrome, and the very rare Rombo, Bazex-Dupré-Christol, and epidermolysis bullosa simplex syndromes, among others. Rare syndromes associated with an increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma include xeroderma pigmentosum, albinism, epidermolysis bullosa simplex, dyskeratosis congenita, and multiple self-healing squamous epitheliomata

11. Arsenic exposure. Exposure to the poison arsenic may increase the risk of Merkel cell cancer

12. Medications as Immunosuppressants

13. Previous treatment with radiation therapy. When a person receives radiation therapy to treat cancer, they have a higher risk of developing basal cell carcinoma. This risk increases over time, especially after 10 to 20 years. As a result, children who receive radiation therapy have a 6 times higher risk for developing a basal cell carcinoma

14. Human papillomavirus (HPV). Research shows that the HPV virus is a risk factor for squamous cell carcinoma, particularly if the person’s immune system becomes suppressed

15. Scar tissues, occasionally skin cancers could arise on scars. One of the case series estimated that 2% of SCC and 0.03% of BCC arise from burn scars, but there appear to have been no population-based estimates of the incidence of skin cancer arising in scars

16. Smoking, aside from its possible effect on immune response, smoking can also be a detriment to healing from skin cancer surgery

​

​

Prevention of skin cancers

Resource is: cancer.net 

​

• Limit or avoid direct exposure to the sun between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM.

• Wear sun-protective clothing, including a wide-brimmed hat that shades the face, neck, and ears. Clothes made from fabric labeled with UV protection factor (UPF) may provide better protection. UV-protective sunglasses are also recommended.

• Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen throughout the year that protects against both UVA and UVB radiation and is SPF 30 or more. Reapply at least 1 ounce of sunscreen to your entire body every 2 hours or every hour after heavy sweating or being in the water.

• Avoid recreational sunbathing.

• Do not use sun lamps, tanning beds, or tanning salons.

• Examine the skin regularly. This should include examinations by a health care professional and self-examinations. Learn more about how to do a self-examination.

• In research, taking 500mg of nicotinamide, a form of vitamin B3, as a tablet twice daily showed a reduction in skin cancers other than melanoma by 23% in people who had 2 or more previous skin cancers. Talk with your doctor before taking any supplements.

​​

Learn more about protecting your skin from the sun.

​

Melanoma

Resource: www.cancer.org.au

Melanoma is the rarest type of skin cancer (accounting for 1 to 2% of cases) but is considered the most serious because it can spread quickly (metastasise) throughout the body.
 

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that develops in the skin cells called melanocytes and  usually occurs on the parts of the body that have been overexposed to the sun. Rare melanomas can occur inside the eye (ocular melanoma) or in parts of the skin or body that have never been exposed to the sun such as the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet or under the nails.

​
 

Melanoma symptoms

Often melanoma has no symptoms, however, the first sign is generally a change in an existing mole or the appearance of a new spot. These changes can include:

• colour - a mole may change in colour, have different colour shades or become blotchy

• size - a mole may appear to get bigger

• shape - a mole may have an irregular shape, may increase in height or not be symmetrical

• elevation - the mole may develop a raised area

• itching or bleeding.

 

 

Causes of Melanoma

• unprotected UV radiation exposure

• a history of childhood tanning and sunburn

• a pattern of short, intense periods of exposure to UV radiation

• having a lot of moles (naevi) – more than 50 on the body and more than 10 above the elbows on the arms

• increased numbers of unusual moles (dysplastic naevi)

• depressed immune systems

• a family history of melanoma in a first degree relative

• fair skin, a tendency to burn rather than tan, freckles, light eye colour (blue or green), light or red hair colour

• had a previous melanoma or non-melanoma skin cancer.