Spot Anything? - Skin Anomalies Should Be Checked Out ASAP

Unless you have been diagnosed with some type of skin cancer or you know someone who has, you have no idea what that person is dealing with from an emotional standpoint. Cancer is cancer and since your skin covers your entire body, it is of the utmost importance that you regularly check your skin for any type of growths.

Although there are 3 basic types of skin cancer (basal cell, squamous cell and melanoma), each type has its own characteristics. If not on weekly basis, then at least monthly, you need to check your body for any type of growth and watch it. In the vent you notice any type of changes, such as color, size, itching, bleeding, etc, then you need to see a physician immediately.

Only a doctor can determine exactly what it is and suggest the best treatment options that are available. If the doctor has reason to believe that it might be some type of skin cancer, he/she will do a biopsy and send the tissue sample to a pathology lab for microscopic examination. This is the only way to get an accurate diagnosis of what the problem is.

The growth I had on my finger was diagnosed after a biopsy had been taken and the results came back as squamous cell carcinoma. I had a special type of surgery performed to remove it. The surgery was done by a dermatologist, who is specially trained in Moh's surgery.

The surgery is done in two steps. The first step involves removing tissue and checking it under a microscope to see if all of the cancer has been removed. If there is still evidence that there is more cancer, the procedure is repeated until all of the cancer has been removed. When the doctor has determined that the cancer is gone, the next step is to repair the area.

Depending on the size of the area and the depth, there are basically three options. The area may be covered with a bandage, stitches maybe used to close the wound or a skin graft maybe needed, if the area is either large, deep or both.

Since my skin cancer was rather extensive, it involved the entire knuckle area on my finger and wrapped around underneath the finger, the doctor said the only way to repair the site was to do a skin graft. The skin that was used for the graft was taken from just below the clavicle, where I have a scar that is almost six inches long. The graft was sutured to my finger to cover the entire area and there were close to 60 stitches used to secure the graft and cover all of the affected area.