Skin Cancer Questions

1. Should I Be Screened for Skin Cancer?

   The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force doesn't currently recommend screening the general public for skin cancer. However, many experts recommend regular screening for skin cancer for those at "high risk," which usually includes the following people:
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer

2. Will Medicare only pay for one spot of skin cancer to be removed at a time?

   There is no Medicare Part B coverage rule that forces a patient to undergo procedures in any particular order. The decision about how many spots are to be removed at any one time is up to your father and his doctor, based on what is medically necessary and reasonable, and on what your father believes he can tolerate...
   1 Expert Answer

3. What are the signs of skin cancer?

   The signs of skin cancer can be obvious or subtle. There are three main types of skin cancer, depending on which skin cell type has gone bad: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma, in order of increasing danger. Each can have many different appearances, and all three can also look like each other...
   1 Expert Answer, 2 Community Answers

4. Am I still getting the vitamin D I need by sitting outside?

   You pose a very good question about gaining vitamin D by sunlight exposure vs. the risk of skin cancer. Sitting outside in sunlight will boost vitamin D levels but your skin must be exposed and free of sunscreen. Reducing the risk of skin cancer, especially in light of your family history, should take...
   1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

5. FAQ: How Is Skin Cancer Staged?

   Most skin cancers that require staging are melanomas. Although melanoma is the least common type of skin cancer, it's by far the most likely type to spread, and it's the cause of most skin cancer deaths.
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6. Can a black or brown dot under toenails be a sign of skin cancer?

   Any dot or streak under a toenail or fingernail that has not always been there should be investigated by a dermatologist, the physician responsible for the health of skin, hair, and also nails.
   1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

7. FAQ: What Kind of Follow-up Should I Have After Treatment for Skin Cancer?

   If you've been treated for skin cancer, you should have regular follow-up visits with your doctor to make sure that the cancer hasn't started to grow again at the same site. This follow-up, known as "surveillance," is especially important if the original tumor was a melanoma, which can be particularly dangerous if it recurs...
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8. Is it possible to have two different types of skin cancer at the same time?

   Yes, it is possible to have two different types of skin cancer at the same time. Just as a person can get freckles in some places and not in others or tan differently on different parts of one's body, a person can get different skin cancers at different times or even have two different types at the same time...
   1 Expert Answer

9. Is it safe for a patient undergoing chemo to get a tattoo?

   The reason that doctors often warn against getting a tattoo -- or doing anything else that's an infection risk-- while undergoing chemotherapy is that chemo drugs lower cancer patients' white blood cell count, and white blood cells are the ones that fight infection...
   1 Expert Answer, 3 Community Answers

10. Does skin cancer after breast cancer treatment mean the treatment wasn't effective?

    Skin cancer can form after breast cancer, but I am not sure that is technically what happened in your mom's case. It sounds like she possibly had some radiation dermatitis after the original treatment, which is unfortunately common, but then possibly the original breast cancer itself spread to the skin...
    1 Expert Answer, 3 Community Answers

11. Can I treat skin cancer with coconut oil?

    If you’ve been diagnosed with skin cancer and coconut oil is the treatment suggested by your heath care provider, I recommend you find yourself another specialist. I asked my mother’s doctor about this—who happens to be a John’s Hopkins’ trained oncologist—and he said he didn’t know of any reputable...
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12. Can I treat skin cancer with emu oil?

    I'm a proponent of alternative medicine. But regarding your question about skin cancer and emu oil, I think you'd be hard pressed to find any reputable health care providers that would recommend this as a cure. I don't think even a naturopath would treat skin cancer with emu oil...
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13. Can I treat skin cancer with hash oil?

    If you have spots from the said skin cancer try applying the oil (warm) to the skin several times a day, there are many more benefits. I'm now wanting to study the effects it has on a person with Ichthyosis. Also it has been proven to kill MRSA, and cause cancer cells/tumors eat their self or shrink significantly...
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14. Do Mexicans have higher rates of skin cancer?

    I don't know of any studies suggesting a correlation between higher than average rates of skin cancer and Mexicans. From what I've read, skin cancer is actually more common in people with light complexions. Perhaps the confusion comes from a study that suggests that even though melanoma is more common among Whites, it's deadlier among Hispanics...
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15. How is skin cancer removed?

    There are a number of skin cancer removal methods. Each has advantages and disadvantage. Your dermatologist will likely make recommendations based on you (or a loved ones) set of circumstances.
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16. What is the success rate for basal cell skin cancer...

    I've got great news on that front. The success rate of basal cell skin cancer treatment is over 99 percent!!!! So breath easy. The reason the success rate of basal cell skin cancer treatment is so high, is that this type of skin cancer almost never metastasizes. It can, however, cause disfigurement if left untreated...
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17. Is there a link between tinea versicolor and skin cancer?

    There is absolutely no link between tinea versicolor and any type of skin cancer. Tinea versicolor is a rash that is caused by a yeast that lives on the skin. It can cause discoloration of the skin, which may be more noticeable with tanning, as well as scaling and itching...
    1 Community Answer

18. Can you treat skin cancer naturally?

    I guess that depends on what you mean by "treating skin cancer naturally." If you're asking if skin cancer can be treated without chemo or radiation therapy, well, then the answer is yes. Most skin cancers are actually cured via a simple surgical procedure...
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19. What is the treatment for skin cancer on the scalp?

    Localized skin cancer is a highly curable disease. Some treatment options are: Mohs micrographic surgery, simple excision with frozen or permanent sectioning for margin evaluation, electrodesiccation and curettage, cryosurgery, or radiation therapy. Clinical trials are ongoing to treat squamous cell carcinoma with intralesional interferon alpha...
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20. Can Tretinoin help treat skin cancer?

    Tretinoin is commonly used to treat acne and warts, but is being investigated as a treatment for skin cancer as well as breast cancer. Tretinoin causes abnormal blood cells to transform into normal blood cells. A study done on clinical trial patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia has shown that 72...
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