The first signs of squamous carcinoma. Skin cancer - first signs, symptoms, causes and treatment of skin cancer

A malignant neoplasm with varying localization and severity of symptoms, formed in the integumentary tissues - skin cancer. In most diagnosed cases of cancer, this is a reaction of the human body to the negative impact of external aggressive environmental factors.

Pathology does not have any preferences - cancer can form in people of different ages and genders. However, most often the tumor occurs in people with fair skin who have crossed the threshold of 65 years. Cancer can be treated or not, only an oncologist can say - after diagnostic measures.

Common early manifestations

Of course, the presence of moles and freckles on the surface tissues is far from cancer, even with their abundance and large size. A characteristic sign of a tumor on the body is the localization of the malignant focus in open areas of the skin, especially in the area of ​​the face and neck. Up to 85–90% of cancer cases occur in this type of cancer localization.

Malignant skin tumors, of course, have their own distinctive signs and symptoms inherent in one form or another of cancer. However, experts have identified similar first signs of skin cancer:

• a persistent spot on the epidermis - with fuzzy, blurred boundaries, painless, gradually increasing in size;
• the formation of an ulcerative defect of the skin - it regenerates poorly, bleeds, and causes discomfort;
• the mole suddenly changed its size, color, became rough, and prone to cracks;
• a kind of “bump” has formed on previously clean skin - with a purple, pink tint, minimal pain, and a clear vascular pattern;
• the appearance of a white spot resembling a scar, but with a softer texture than the surrounding tissue.

In the area affected by cancer, peeling of the epidermis, itching, or burning, bleeding of the skin may be observed.

General symptoms include decreased appetite, a feeling of constant fatigue, as well as episodes of fever to subfebrile levels. Such manifestations may well be attributed to a person’s workload and acute respiratory infections. And only diagnostic procedures performed in a medical institution will put everything in its place.

Squamous cell skin cancer

Up to 10% of the total number of skin tumors is the squamous cell form of cancer. A slow course and late metastasis are characteristic of a highly differentiated variant of cancer, while a low form of histological differentiation will be characterized by aggressiveness and an unfavorable prognosis.

A squamous cell malignant tumor of the skin, as a rule, is the result of the degeneration of an existing precancerous lesion. For example, dermatitis, trophic defects due to metabolic disorders or scars. The tumor does not have any specific localization on the skin - it can be located both on the face and on the body, on the limbs.

In the early stages of the tumor, it appears as a kind of scaly plaque on the skin with clear boundaries from the surrounding tissues. In this case, the defect has a tendency to bleed when touched or injured. The smell of discharge from the sore is extremely unpleasant and repulsive.

The causes of cancer of the integumentary tissue are constant contact with aggressive external factors. For example, work in the production of paints and varnishes, chemicals, and medicines. If the skin is exposed to negative influences on a daily basis, the DNA chain will fail. This is how a cancer cell appears, and when it multiplies, a tumor is formed.

Manifestations of basal cell tumor

The first symptoms of basal cell skin cancer often appear in people after 65–75 years of age. Sometimes they become symptoms of relapse of cancer of other internal organs. Occupies up to 75–80% of the total cancer structure of integumentary tissues.

The main manifestation of the tumor is the appearance on the skin of a flat element with a rich dark pink tint and a pearlescent sheen. The preferred location of cancer is exposed parts of the body exposed to ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

Basalioma can be either a single focus of cancer or have a confluent nature, when 2-3 defects combine into one large skin tumor. It grows slowly - the spread of basal cell carcinoma outside the main focus of cancer is extremely rare.

Another distinctive property of a basal cell tumor of the skin is the long-term preservation of the integrity of its surface - up to several months the cancer does not manifest itself in any way. Later, roughness, cracks, and peeling of the skin appear. The plaque ulcerates, the edges rise, and the bottom becomes covered with a dry crust. Whereas unchanged areas of the tumor do not lose their whitish shine.

Gradually, the cancer grows into the underlying tissues, destroying muscles and bones. However, basal cell tumors do not have a tendency to metastasize. The primary focus of cancer itself is capable of growing into nearby tissues and organs.

Manifestations of other forms of integumentary cancer

The initial stage of skin adenocarcinoma is the appearance of a single node protruding above the surface of the skin. Typical tumor locations are skin folds under the mammary glands, the groin area, or the armpits.

The size of the tumor is small – at the initial stage it does not exceed a few millimeters. Cancer growth is characterized by a slow pace - extremely rarely adenocarcinoma reaches 8-10 cm. However, tumor growth into the underlying tissues - muscles or bones - is not observed. As well as cancer metastases, these are isolated cases.

The main complaints that people complain about when affected by an adenocarcinal tumor are pain in the node, its ulceration and the discharge of foul-smelling ichor. The tumor also has a tendency to recur after surgical removal of the primary cancer focus.

Women are more likely to experience a form of skin cancer such as melanoma. Its volume in the general structure of skin tumors is 10–12%. The favorite location of the tumor is the face, the front surface of the body, as well as the plantar part of the feet and fingers.

The main complaint of patients is a sharp change in the color of the mole, papillomas - acquiring a bright red hue, or discoloration. The edges of the tumor are usually uneven - asymmetrical, jagged. The consistency of the cancerous defect is compacted, and its appearance is glossy. Painful sensations occur already at the stage of tumor growth into soft tissues that have nerve endings. Differential diagnosis is helped by modern instrumental and laboratory techniques.

General treatment tactics

Treatment of skin cancer must be comprehensive - in addition to excision of the main tumor, it affects the causes of skin cancer. If there is an infection with papillomavirus, measures are aimed at increasing immune barriers, whereas if there is a tendency to insolation, they are limited.

The following techniques help cure skin cancer:

• Surgical intervention is the maximum organ-preserving excision of the primary tumor with its surrounding tissues. This reduces the risk of cancer recurrence. Surgical treatment is a mandatory measure, no matter what stage the cancer is at. The cyber knife technique is becoming increasingly popular.
• Radiotherapy – a stream of rays is directed at the tumor, which suppresses the activity of cancer cells. The size of the tumor decreases, which helps to perform surgery with smaller areas of excision. In some cases, radiation therapy is resorted to when other therapeutic measures are either impossible to implement or have proven ineffective.
• Application of special ointments to the tumor that suppress the growth of cancer cells, in combination with oral or parenteral administration of antitumor medications, is another effective method of combating cancer of the integumentary tissue. Timely chemotherapy is the key to the absence of tumor recurrence.

The optimal regimen for treating skin cancer is selected by a specialist individually in each case. Many factors are taken into account - from the size and structure of the tumor, to the age of the patient and the susceptibility of his body to medical procedures.

Other cancer treatments

Many people, faced with the fact that a tumor has formed in open areas of the body that are visible to others, ask specialists whether skin cancer can be treated in some other way, without surgical intervention. After all, after such treatment, scars remain.

In an effort to achieve all their goals - to remove the tumor and preserve the woman’s beauty, specialists explain in detail what cancer is, what its consequences are, and whether it is possible to avoid unaesthetic defects from treatment. If you seek medical help in a timely manner, the effectiveness of treatment procedures is maximum.

For example, the photodynamic technique has successfully proven itself in diagnosing tumors in the upper layers of the skin. Its essence comes down to the use of a specially developed product. Applied to the area affected by cancer, it allows, after light treatment, to destroy tumor cells, leading to its death.

Some more modern methods of fighting cancer:

• laser therapy – suppression of tumor growth using a highly active beam of rays;
• fulfilment – ​​removal of cancer cells using specially designed instruments followed by exposing the tumor to current, which leads to the death of cancer cells;
• cryotherapy – when the tumor is located shallowly, it is exposed to liquid nitrogen, during which the cancer cells are destroyed from the inside and die.

Whether cancer can be cured, how long it will take and the method of antitumor treatment will be effective in a given case - all these questions are the prerogative of the oncologist. Self-medication is absolutely unacceptable.

Traditional methods of treatment

Treatment of skin cancer with folk remedies is a completely possible and effective option for getting rid of the tumor. However, such tactics of influence are allowed only at the initial stage of tumor formation and necessarily as an addition to the main therapeutic measures, and not instead of them.

External treatment with folk remedies:

• prepare an 8% saline solution with which to moisten gauze bandages - they are placed over the tumor, tightly secured and left overnight, the treatment period is until the defect disappears;
• Pour 10 g of celandine powder into 10 g of lanolin and 10 g of petroleum jelly, mix everything thoroughly, add 10 drops of carboxylic acid, lubricate the cancer-affected area with the prepared ointment;
• grind the ferula rhizome and mix in equal volumes with cow butter, the mixture is applied to the tumor 2 times a day, while simultaneously drinking the ferula decoction;
• 2 tbsp each herbs of agrimony and ivy bud, as well as carrot seeds and 3 tbsp. sweet clover herb, joster laxative leaves, 5 tbsp. l. Mix celandine thoroughly, then 2 tbsp. l. pour the mixture into 0.5 liters of boiling water, cool to room temperature and filter, then use it as compresses to fight cancer.

Traditional recipes for integumentary tissue cancer for oral administration:

• healing infusion - combine 5 tbsp. puffball spore, 1 tbsp. calamus rhizomes, pour into 500 ml of water heated to 50 degrees, stand overnight, then add 2 tbsp. l. calendula flowers, leave for another 2 days - take the prepared infusion in 4-6 doses;
• celandine infusion – 1 tsp. pour the herbs into 200 ml of boiling water, wait for it to cool and filter, drink 3 times;
• mix yarrow juice (2 volumes) and carrots (2 volumes), as well as hemlock herb (1 volume) - 1 tbsp. Take the prepared mixture orally with warm milk.

Each of the selected folk recipes for fighting skin cancer must be agreed with your doctor, since individual components may not be combined with medications prescribed by a specialist. Cancer can and should be fought; an integrated approach to treatment tactics is the key to recovery.

Skin cancer is a concept that unites a number of malignant skin tumors. Skin cancer most often affects exposed parts of the body, in particular the face (about 70% of all cases). In this case, on the face, the tumor most often affects the forehead, nose, temples, corners of the eyes, and ears. Cancer is less common on the body and extremities (5–10%).

Skin cancer: causes

There are several predisposing reasons contributing to the appearance of malignant skin tumors, namely:

1. Long-term irradiation of the skin with UV rays. Proof of this can be the fact that residents of the southern regions suffer from skin cancer much more often than the northern ones.
2. Exposure of skin to radiation.
3. Long-term thermal effects on the skin.
4. Chemical exposure. For example, contact with soot, various resins, tar, arsenic.
5. Hereditary predisposition to skin cancer.
6. Frequent use of medications that suppress the immune system (antitumor drugs, corticosteroids.
7. Age over 50 years. At a younger age, malignant skin diseases appear less frequently, and skin cancer in children is diagnosed even less frequently (0.3% of all cancers).
8. Mechanical injuries to nevi, birthmarks, scars.

In addition to the above causes of skin cancer, there are also a number of diseases considered precancerous. Precancerous diseases are divided into obligate and facultative precancer. Obligate precancer, as a rule, is a rare, slowly developing disease, which, however, completely turns into cancer. These include:

• xeroderma pigmentosum
• Paget's disease
• Bowen's disease
• Keir's erythroplasia

Facultative precancers include all kinds of chronic skin diseases: dermatitis, inflammatory and dystrophic processes. Slow-healing wounds and ulcers on the skin are also considered an optional precancer.

Types of skin cancer

Types of skin cancer are essentially types of malignant skin tumors.

There are three main types of skin cancer:

1. Basalioma (or basal cell carcinoma). This tumor develops from the basal epithelial cells of the skin. This is the most common type of skin cancer (75% of all cases). It is characterized by slow growth without metastasis, so some researchers consider basal cell carcinoma to be an intermediate type of tumor (between malignant and benign types).
2. Squamous cell skin cancer (squamous cell carcinoma). This type of cancer is much less common than basal cell carcinoma, but is characterized by very active growth and metastasis (mostly lymphogenous). Metastases most often affect the lymph nodes (10% of cases), much less often the lungs are affected (in rare cases, hematogenous metastases). Squamous cell skin cancer, as a rule, is characterized by single tumors located on any part of the body.
3. Malignant melanoma. This tumor develops from the two types of cancer listed above (basal cell and squamous cell). The disease develops from skin cells that produce the pigment melanin - melanocytes, which are located in the epidermis (on the top layer of the skin). Malignant melanomas are caused by uncontrolled division of melanocytes. In the early stages, melanoma is highly treatable, but in advanced forms of the disease it penetrates into the deep layers of the skin, enters the blood and lymph system, and quickly spreads throughout the body.

Rare types of skin cancer

There are two other types of skin cancer that are extremely rare (0.5% of cases):

• Merkel cell cancer is a very malignant tumor (distant and regional metastases appear in more than 50% of patients) usually located on the skin of the face and head (in very rare cases in other parts of the body). It occurs mainly in older people
• Skin sarcomas - appear from parts of the connective tissue of the skin and its appendages. It mainly affects the skin of the limbs and torso. There are several types of this type of cancer, the most common of which are Kaposi's sarcoma and dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans.

Skin cancer: symptoms

Those wishing to know how skin cancer manifests itself should familiarize themselves with the list of main symptoms. There are reliably identified signs of skin cancer, if you find them, you should immediately consult a doctor.

These include the following phenomena:

• Bleeding and long-term non-healing wounds or ulcers on the body (regardless of their size or location)
• A persistent reddish spot that may sometimes become dry or flaky
• A gradual increase in the size of the irritated area of ​​skin (regardless of the symmetry or asymmetry of its boundaries), which does not disappear
• Any neoplasm (birthmark, lump, nodule) with a smooth texture and shiny surface (regardless of its color, which can be pink, red, white, purple, brown or shades thereof)
• A white, scar-like, smooth spot that is less elastic than the surrounding skin
• The appearance of a plaque on the skin with a depression in the middle. Changes in moles on the body: thickening, enlargement, inflammation, swelling, discoloration.
• The appearance of a dark (pigmented) spot, itching and bleeding from it

Forms of skin cancer

There are three main forms of skin cancer:

1. Surface form. The appearance of dense nodules of a whitish and yellowish tint on the skin. These are the first signs of skin cancer, which over time develop into painless plaques with an uneven contour, inside of which a depression appears (sometimes a crust appears in it, when removed, a drop of blood appears). This form of skin cancer is often seen in basal cell carcinoma.
2. Infiltrating form. The tumor in this form looks like a deep ulceration with ridge-like dense edges and bumpy crusts of dead skin cells. Such a tumor quickly grows into surrounding tissues, becoming immobile. As a rule, this form, from a histological point of view, is characteristic of squamous cell carcinoma.
3. Papillary form. The rarest form of cancer, which is a tuberous tumor strewn with papillae. With this form of cancer, the tumor quickly grows in depth and outward, actively metastasizes, severely debilitating the patient.

Skin cancer stages

Each type of skin cancer has its own characteristics of development. To summarize, there are four stages of skin cancer:

• Stage I: mobile malignant formation (tumor or ulcer), measuring up to 2 cm in diameter, not metastasizing;
• Stage II: a malignant formation larger than 2 cm in diameter, which has grown deep into the skin and metastasizes to the lymph node (closest to the site of the lesion);
• Stage III has two options:

1. The tumor is quite large in size, with limited mobility, which has grown throughout the entire thickness of the skin, affecting the soft tissues without affecting the bones and cartilage. No metastases.
2. A tumor of the same size (or smaller), with metastases to the lymph nodes closest to it;
3. A malignant formation (tumor or ulcer) that has grown extensively throughout the skin, penetrating into soft tissues, cartilage and bones.
4. A small tumor with distant metastases.

• Stage IV can also be of two types:

Skin cancer: survival prognosis

For squamous cell skin cancer, the survival prognosis for the first and second stages of skin cancer is 90% (that is, five years of life without relapses), for the third and fourth stages it does not exceed 60%. If the body reacts favorably to treatment, relapses do not occur at all and the person lives his future life without cancer.

This happens especially often with timely detected basal cell carcinoma.

Diagnosis of skin cancer

Diagnosis of skin cancer begins with a doctor examining the tumors that are troubling the patient. Oncologists pay attention to the following criteria:

• Asymmetry of a suspicious tumor, when one half of the suspicious area is different from the other half
• Uneven, blurred, jagged boundaries of the affected area
• Uneven coloration of the affected area, ranging in color from white and tan to red brown or blue
• The diameter of the neoplasm is greater than 6 mm.

In addition to examination, skin cancer diagnosis includes a biopsy and blood test, as well as tests such as ultrasound, X-ray, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. These tests are necessary to determine the so-called Breslow index (detection of the level of tumor thickness) and to determine the extent of lymph node damage.

Naturally, in addition to the above research methods, the doctor may prescribe others, based on the individual characteristics of the patient’s condition.

Skin cancer: treatment

After determining the stage of the disease, the doctor selects the optimal treatment method. The main treatments for skin cancer are:

1. Radiotherapy (irradiation). This method is used primarily when surgical intervention is impossible (for example, if the tumor is in a hard-to-reach place, such as in the corners of the eyes, ears or nose), as well as in case of relapse of the disease.
2. Chemotherapy. Used for repeated relapses and in cases of large tumors. This method involves treating skin cancer with drugs that destroy cancer cells.
3. Photodynamic method. Used in cases of tumor concentration in the superficial layers of the skin. In this case, a special preparation is applied to the affected area, and then it is subjected to special light exposure. Under the influence of this light, the analyzed drug destroys cancer cells.
4. Laser surgery. Destruction of cancer cells with a directed, highly active light beam.
5. Fulguration. This method of cancer treatment involves removing cancer cells with a special instrument, followed by applying an electric current to the tissue, destroying the remaining malignant cells.
6. Cryosurgery. Freezing cancer cells with liquid nitrogen. This method of treating cancer is usually used when the infiltration in the skin is not deep, and also when other methods are not suitable for the patient.
7. Surgical. It involves excision of a malignant tumor 1-2 cm from its visible edge. Most often, this method is chosen for cancer of the body and extremities, as well as for the removal of metastases (provided that the main tumor is cured).

Treatment of skin cancer with medications is usually a mandatory part of combination treatment. The most commonly prescribed drugs are those that stimulate the immune system to actively fight cancer: 5-fluorouracil, interferon, dacarbazine, aldesleukin, imiquimod and others. For some forms of cancer, combination treatment includes several of the above methods (for example, surgical excision of the tumor plus subsequent radiation).

Cancer is a disease that begins with a mutation of a cell, or more precisely, its organelle structure. Cells begin to grow and divide uncontrollably. Skin cancer is a malignant neoplasm of the skin that grows from soft tissues by mutation of healthy ones. It is found equally in both women and men, more often after 50 years. The incidence of the disease is 5% of all cancers.

What are the reasons for the development of skin cancer?

Several exo- and endogenous factors of this disease have been proven:

• Exposure to ultraviolet rays, natural and artificial - such as solariums.
• X-ray and gamma radiation, which sooner or later leads to skin radiation dermatitis.
• Infrared rays are most often associated with work (occupational disease).
• Skin viral diseases - human papillomavirus (HPV)
• Exposure to carcinogenic factors, such as: petroleum products, herbicides, coal, mineral oils.
• Frequent use of hair dyes.
• Arsenic intoxication. There are acute and chronic forms; this oncology is most often caused by the chronic form.
• Mechanical damage to the integument.
• Burns, if this is a repeated burn, then the likelihood of illness increases.
• Chronic inflammatory processes on the skin. The etiology can be different: skin tuberculosis, trophic ulcers, fistulas, eczema, etc.

The most popular reason is Ultraviolet Rays (UV) received from the sun; in people who move from a cold country or city closer to the sea or warmth, this pathological neoplasm is detected.

Common symptoms of skin cancer

• An irregularly shaped spot on the skin that grows with age. The strange shape may have jagged edges and an unclear border.
• Mole nevi can change the color and size of the mole, and a red rim appears around them. At the same time, the birthmark itself begins to rise above a flat surface.
• Pain syndrome near any formations or scars, which indicates the penetration of the neoplasm into the deeper layers of the dermis and tissue. The patient feels: itching, burning, burning pain.
• Formation of warts or papilloma-shaped growths on the skin. Soft to the touch and tissue damage is found next to the neoplasm.
• A lumpy, dense formation with heterogeneous coloring on the skin. There may be peeling, eczema, erosion.
• A dense knot inside the cover is dark, white and red. It looks like a circle on the skin, and there are capillaries around it, somewhat reminiscent of the sun. There may also be ulcers on the node.
• Pigmented compaction with aggressive growth.
• The beginning of the pigmented form can be the simplest mole that has begun to grow.

Predisposing factors

People at risk are:

1. Frequent visitors to solariums and vacationers often travel to Western countries.
2. Taking medications that have a photosensitizing effect: tetracycline, drugs that contain coumarin, sulfonamides, phenothiazine, etc.
3. With white and light skin. Albinos and people with skin sensitivity types 1 and 2. The tumor appears on areas of the skin exposed to the sun.
4. Genetic predisposition. It is observed in 28% of people, among other pathological neoplasms of the skin.
5. There is also an increased risk in people with blood groups 1 (0) and 3 (0B). This study was proven in 2008.
6. Those who have reached 50 years of age.
7. Living in places with unfavorable ecology.
8. Working with harmful substances.
9. Dermatitis due to various reasons.

Stages of cancer

Body cancer has several stages

Basal cell carcinoma, unlike other forms of cancer, has no stages. It simply grows, affecting surrounding tissue.

Varieties

For any suspicious spots, consult a doctor such as:

• Oncologist
• Dermatologist
• Therapist

Diagnosis of skin cancer

1. Biopsy. They take a piece of the tumor and send it for histological and cytological studies, where they look for the presence of atypical cells. A biopsy is the most reliable way to determine the malignancy of a tumor.
2. CT scan. A method based on scanning the body with x-rays. Next, the image is displayed on a computer and examined.
3. Laboratory research - general and biochemical analysis, tumor marker of skin cancer, liver serology, etc. This research method is quite reliable, but not 100%.
4. Positron emission tomography. Radionuclide tomographic research method. This method allows you to evaluate organ function, function and metabolism. It is possible to diagnose a tumor at an early stage.

Tumor markers for skin cancer

Tumor markers- a waste product of cancer cells. Antibodies for melanoma do not currently exist, but there are other markers for skin tumors. The study is carried out using about 20 tumor markers.

The research requires a special institution, a laboratory. Sometimes tumor markers are used for any organs, since the localization of the tumor on the skin can be varied.

Treatment

The main question of interest to patients and their families is “is skin cancer curable or not?!” In the first stages it is curable. The early stage is when there are no metastases yet; it is possible to completely remove the tumor and cancer cells through surgery. Damage to areas of the skin is of no small importance.

Basic treatment methods

• Surgical intervention. The surgical method involves excision of the tumor itself and surrounding healthy tissue.
• Radiation therapy. They are used mainly to remove metastases; they can also be used to remove the tumor itself on the skin.
• XO (chemotherapy). Chemotherapy removes remaining cancer cells after surgery. They can be used in the early stages, and when there are already metastases.
• Removal of tumor with laser.
• Local antitumor application therapy. Used in the earliest stages, when the tumor has not reached 3 mm.
• Diathermocoagulation. An alternative to conventional surgical tumor removal. Used at stages 1-2 of skin carcinoma.
• Cryosurgery. Used for small tumors.

In the last stages (3-4), a combination treatment is carried out, which involves several methods. The first and second stages are considered low-risk, and in most cases the treatment ends successfully.

How long do you live with skin cancer?

The oncologist's answer depends on the stage of the tumor and the patient's condition. If the tumor is detected in the early stages, the prognosis is most likely to be favorable.

97% of patients with stage 1 live for 5 years or more. At the second stage of development of skin tumors, the rate is 86-91%. In the presence of metastases, this figure decreases significantly to 60%. In case of damage to internal organs – 15%.

Basalioma is more favorable compared to melanoma. The risk factor for getting this disease is not large. The main thing is to pay attention and diagnose the disease in time.

Prevention.

The main cause of skin cancer is UV (ultraviolet, sun rays), so it is necessary to limit its harmful effects.

Naturally, it is simply impossible to constantly avoid the sun's rays, but it is quite possible to limit yourself. It is better to avoid artificial UV rays - solariums, especially in the spring and summer, when there is enough sun outside. And be sure to use sunscreen on the beach.

Malignant tumors are most often localized on the face, scalp, and neck. Doctors explain this circumstance by increased ultraviolet exposure to parts of the body not covered by clothing.

First signs and symptoms

The most common types of skin cancer on the face are basal cell and squamous cell tumors. Let us consider in detail the symptoms of these oncological diseases on the face in their initial stages.

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Basal cell carcinoma

This type of cancer is the most common.

A characteristic feature of basal cell carcinoma is its slow progression: tumors can develop over several years.

Another sign of tumors of this type is the almost complete absence of metastases. However, when the tumor is localized on the face, metastases are still recorded, but, fortunately, infrequently.

Basalioma on the face develops in several forms:

• superficial;
• nodular;
• flat.

The surface form is a pinkish spot with slightly raised edges and a smooth, shiny surface. It rarely develops on the face. The nodular form looks like a reddish tumor with a nodular formation in the center. This form of the disease has the fastest course.

Flat basal cell carcinoma looks like a plaque with clear edges, slightly raised above the surface of the skin.

Most often, nodular basal cell carcinoma occurs on the face. At the initial stage, the neoplasm looks like a nodule, spot or pimple. The size at the initial stage is from 0.5 to 2 cm. The tumor is characterized by superficial growth and does not cause any pain symptoms. The only manifestation may be itching, sometimes quite severe.

If you find any tumor on your face that does not heal within a week or more, you should contact a dermatologist, who will examine the tumor with a dermatoscope and prescribe further examination or refer you to an oncologist.
It is quite possible that this is an allergy, dermatitis or another skin disease, but you should consult a doctor in any case: early diagnosis of cancer significantly increases the likelihood of a complete cure.

Video: Five main signs of skin cancer

Squamous cell carcinoma

This form of malignant neoplasm is much more aggressive than basal cell carcinoma. Squamous cell carcinoma can develop on the face as a plaque, ulcer, or nodule. The ulcerative variety is characterized by ridge-like raised edges surrounding the tumor along its entire circumference.

An ulcerative squamous cell tumor resembles a crater. The central focus of the tumor often bleeds, and sometimes an unpleasant odor is felt. The tumor progresses rapidly, increasing in horizontal and vertical directions.
The nodular form of squamous cell carcinoma resembles cauliflower in appearance. The tumor has a dense base and is often covered with erosions and ulcerations. The color may be red or brown.

Squamous cell tumors in the form of a plaque are characterized by a bright red color, bleeding and the presence of small tubercles on the surface of the formation.

At the initial stage, the tumor spreads horizontally, but quickly spreads into the deeper layers of the skin.

Treatment

At stage 1, facial skin cancer is cured quite successfully: with adequate and competent therapy, in 90-97%, complete recovery can be achieved without relapses.

Surgical excision of the tumor is used with the necessary indentation from the edges. Since operations are performed on the face, the principles of plastic surgery are followed during excision. If necessary, repeated plastic surgery is performed.

In places that are difficult to reach for traditional surgery, when tumors are localized on the nose or around the eyes, laser coagulation of tumors is used. This allows for minimal intervention and does not cause bleeding. But such an operation is possible only for small tumors.

Neoplasms in the nose and eyes can also be eliminated through photodynamic therapy (PDT), since other treatment methods can negatively affect the condition of the lens.

The principle of photodynamic therapy is as follows: the patient is injected with a photosensitizer (a special light-sensitive substance), which accumulates in the tumor tissue. After a few days, the neoplasm is irradiated with light of a certain length.

When exposed to light, photosensitizing substances are destroyed along with malignant tumor cells, while healthy tissue remains intact. This method of therapy has virtually no contraindications or side effects (if necessary, it can be performed several times).