What if I get a weird spot or bump during quarantine?
May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month and May 4 is Melanoma Monday. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, and approximately 9,500 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with skin cancer every day. Yahoo Life is driving awareness with this expert-driven article to help people spot early signs of skin cancer at home.
If you’ve ever had a skin lesion zapped off to prevent or treat skin cancer, you’re not alone; more people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year in the U.S. than all other cancers combined, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. But just because we’re homebound with dermatology offices closed to routine procedures like skin checkups, doesn’t mean problematic bumps are also taking a quarantine from popping up. What should you do if you see something suspicious? We asked top experts to advise.
Stay calm. The good news is that skin cancer is not a fast-moving cancer. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has advised dermatologists to delay most skin cancer appointments and treatments by three months right now, says Philadelphia-based dermatologist, Nazanin Saedi, MD. “It’s unsettling for patients to hear that we’re diagnosing a form of skin cancer but holding off on treatment until the office reopens for routine procedures — we try to reassure patients — these are slow-growing skin cancers that do not tend to spread internally,” says Saedi. For any spot that looks like melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer that is still 99 percent treatable if caught early, patients can come into the office for an urgent appointment, she adds.
Know what to look for. If you have a lesion on your face that might look like a pimple but hasn’t gone away in over a month, reach out to your doctor because a regular zit usually resolves within that time frame, says Saedi. Some skin cancers can appear as scaly growths that bleed or develop a crust, or pop up as a sore that doesn’t heal. Also, remember the “ABCDE” of spotting a melanoma skin lesion: asymmetry, irregular border, color changing, diameter larger than 6mm (the size of a pencil eraser) and anything that is evolving. What should you not worry about? Barnacles, as Saedi refers to them, a nickname for seborrheic keratosis. “Barnacles have a waxy, stuck on, pasted appearance— they often start off as light brown or tan spots that can get thicker with time and can get irritated and bleed,” explains Saedi. If in doubt, always contact a board-certified dermatologist for a medical opinion.
Schedule a telemedicine appointment. Dermatologists are now doing “telederm” visits on platforms like Zoom to diagnose common basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas over screens. Most offices offer the ability to send messages and photos securely over patient portals, and your dermatologist can then guide you on the best course of action. Suspected melanomas do require an in-office visit, though some dermatologists are utilizing new technology to make sure you really have to make the trip, like Orit Markowitz, MD, director of Pigmented Lesions and Skin Cancer at Mount Sinai in New York City. Markowitz has patients take a dermatoscope image with their smartphone at home so she can study it in detailed magnification. If it looks like melanoma, she sends the patient a PLA test, which is a tape-like adhesive that the patient places on the spot under clinician supervision. When peeled off, the adhesive removes a small sample of skin cells that is then sent to an independent lab for testing to rule out melanoma. If melanoma can’t be ruled out, an in-office appointment follows. This also helps prevent unnecessary hospital visits for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, says Markowitz.
Don’t rely on apps. These days, there’s an app for everything. Yet experts warn that apps that claim to track and analyze suspicious moles aren’t reliable. In a study published by the BMJ (British Medical Journal), researchers found poor results from smartphone apps using algorithms to alert users to potentially problematic spots. “All of the literature and research shows there is no evidence-based medicine or science that shows current artificial intelligence embedded in smart phone apps helps detect suspicious lesions,” says Markowitz, who adds that most of the time, they simply suggest you consult a dermatologist anyway. She does note that apps that provide sun safety help like daily UV index levels, prompts to apply and reapply sunscreen and reminders to get skin checks are all helpful in mitigating behaviors that increase your chance of skin cancer.
Remain aware, even if you’re young. Cancer is often thought of as an older person’s disease, but skin cancer especially does not follow this pattern. “The number one cause of cancer deaths in patients aged 25 to 29 is melanoma,” says Markowitz. Fortunately for all of us in quarantine, patients can have the majority of skin cancer managed from the safety of their home today. The exception remains melanoma, which falls under an essential emergency service that requires immediate surgical attention, according to Markowitz. Melanoma is the least common yet deadliest form of skin cancer, accounting for one percent of all cases, with 2020 projections of 100,350 new cases and 6,850 deaths, according to AIM At Melanoma Foundation. The key to combating any type of skin cancer, including melanoma, is educating yourself on the signs, performing self-exams and seeing a board-certified dermatologist for guidance when that weird spot just does not look right.
