Skin Cancer and Lesions of the Face
What is a skin lesion?
A skin lesion is a general term for a mark or a growth on the skin. Skin lesions commonly occur on the face or the head and neck region. They can be cancerous or non-cancerous.
The cancerous lesions such as Melanoma, SCC and BCC are of most concern and require timely removal whilst the usually harmless cysts, warts, birthmarks, moles and keratosis can often be removed or even left untreated if not causing discomfort and are not of cosmetic concern.
How are skin lesions treated?
There are a number of surgical and non-surgical techniques that can be used to treat skin lesions.
Small skin lesions can be excised and the wound directly closed with sutures under local anaesthetic in rooms / onsite.
Larger more complex lesions and lesions in older frail patients are more likely to be removed in a hospital setting, usually as a day case. Larger lesions may also require a skin flap or skin graft to help fill the open wound remaining after excision of the lesion.
What is melanoma?
Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that develops from the cells which give your skin it’s colour (melanocytes). Whilst it is less common than other types of skin cancer, it is one of the most serious due to its ability to recur or spread to other areas of the body.
What are non-melanotic skin cancers?
The most common non-melanoma skin cancers we see at the practice are Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) and Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC). BCCs tend to be slower growing (over a period of months to years) whilst SCCs grow at a faster rate (over several weeks or months). BCCs make up about 70% of non-melanoma skin cancers whilst SCCs account for the remaining 30%. In the majority of cases these skin cancers are less likely to spread to other parts of the body, but if left untreated can result in local invasion into the soft tissues, bones, nerves and vessels.