5 Facts About Skin Cancer You May Not Know

By Matthew Halpern, MD

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month and we’re doing our best to make sure New Jersey residents are armed with the facts about this widespread and serious disease. Test your knowledge!

1.  Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than 3.5 million skin cancers in over two million people are diagnosed each year.  Each year, there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon.  This means that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime. 

2.  Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer, with an estimated 2.8 million cases diagnosed each year in the United States. This form of skin cancer, which is rarely fatal, can be highly disfiguring if left untreated.  

3.  Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common form of skin cancer. Approximately 700,000 new cases of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma are diagnosed each year in the United States.  It is estimated that 65 percent of all squamous cell carcinomas arise from precancerous lesions called actinic keratoses.  

An example of melanoma.

4.  Melanoma, which is one of the most serious types of skin cancer, is on the rise.  Over the past 10 years, the incidence of melanoma has increased at 1.9% percent per year. Over the past 40 years, the incidence of melanoma has increased by 800 percent in young women and 400 percent in young men. It is estimated that 76,690 new cases of invasive melanoma will be diagnosed in the US in 2013. Melanoma is the fifth most common type of cancer for males and the seventh most common for females.  The risk of melanoma doubles in someone with a history of more than five sunburns in their lifetime.  Just one or more blistering sunburns also doubles the risk of developing a melanoma over the course of a lifetime.  

5.  Skin cancers can affect people of all ages.  Although the average age of someone diagnosed with skin cancer is over 50, the number of women under the age of 40 diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma has doubled in the last 30 years.  Similarly the number of squamous cell carcinomas in this age group has increased by over 700 percent.  Anecdotally, I see several patients in their 20s and 30s each year who have developed non melanoma skin cancers.

Watch for our next newsletter for tips on how to prevent skin cancer, as well as how skin cancer can be detected and treated. Past issues can be accessed on our website.

What You Need to Know About Skin Cancer and Mohs Surgery

QandA With Dr. Matthew Halpern, Windsor Dermatology

What is the typical Mohs patient?

The demographic used to skew much older, around 60 years of age or older. It could affect either gender, but usually the patients have light skin and fair eyes. But now we’re sadly seeing an increase in the younger population. People in their 20s and 30s are coming in for Mohs Surgery. It’s a nationally recognized trend that has come about within the last 10 years. It’s mainly attributed to tanning. 

How long have you been performing Mohs surgery? 

I’ve been performing Mohs for six years and about 1,000 cases per year. Mohs surgery is one of our highest ranking search terms. What would you say to a patient who is nervous about getting Mohs surgery? 

The Mohs procedure is similar to the biopsy a patient would have already had, and sometimes it’s less painful. Most people are surprised at how painless it is. As with any procedure, sometimes the anticipation is the worst part. But what would be worse overall is not treating the skin cancer. Some people delay treatment which can make things more complicated and they can require more extensive procedures. 

What is the success rate of Mohs? 

The success rate is really the advantage of getting Mohs Surgery done—it has the highest cure rates of any treatment for non-melanoma skin cancer. For a first time basal cell skin cancer patient, it has a 99% cure rate, and that is the most common form of the disease. For a first time squamous cell skin cancer patient, the cure rate is 97%.

Why is Mohs better than other skin cancer treatment methods? 

Mohs is the best treatment because it will leave the least amount of scarring possible and it almost always eliminates recurrence. So it has obvious medical advantages, as well as cosmetic advantages. It is really the ideal treatment for this disease. With Mohs surgery, it is an outpatient procedure, the stitches come out in a week or two and then you usually have a one month follow-up appointment.

Other treatments include ED&C (or electrodesiccation and curettage), which can be used based on the location of the cancer. We stick to the guidelines put forth by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) for Mohs Surgery indications to know when it’s appropriate. 

What do you think patients get by going to Windsor Dermatology that they don’t get elsewhere? 

Our strengths are our expertise, but perhaps more importantly, our emphasis on patient comfort. The whole team is really good at making sure patient questions are answered and the patient knows what to expect. We have a consultation beforehand and make them physically as comfortable as possible with recliners in the waiting room, snacks and a television to watch. I call my patients after their procedure to make sure that they are doing okay. We want them to feel like they are not just a number here. 

Now that so much information is available about the causes of skin cancer, do you think more patients are taking preventative measures to protect against skin cancer? 

People are definitely better protected and are doing a better job at preventing skin cancer. You can tell that many members of the older generation have passed on their experiences to their loved ones who are learning from that. It has cut down on the risk significantly. But even though people are being vigilant about sunscreen and sun-protective clothing, it’s still important to be checked by a dermatologist.