Skin cancer early detection program
Incidence
Skin Cancer non-melanoma is the most frequent type of cancer in Europe and the United States and can be divided in two types:
- Basal cell carcinoma (75 % of cases)
- Squamous cell or Epidermoid Carcinoma (25 % of cases).
The incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer seems to be increasing in recent years due to sun exposure and a longer life expectancy of the population. It is important to emphasize that together they represent the most common malignant tumors although they represent only 1 out of 1000 cases of death due to cancer.
Early detection
iTAcC’s Program for Early Detection of Skin Cancer coordinates a group of specialists in Dermatology, Maxillofacial Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Radiation and Medical Oncology and Genetics in order to rule out skin cancer or diagnose it. The treatment protocol is launched simultaneously with the coordination of the committee of specialists in skin cancer and melanoma.
Included in the early detection program:
- The examination is done by a dermatologist using a device called a dermoscopy with an immersion lens, polarized light, or both. It is used in order to analyze the dermoscopic parameters to determine whether a lesion is benign, malignant, and suspicious or there is a risk of becoming malignant. The appropriate action is taken according to the findings. This method is reliable and today is considered a method of choice.
- In certain cases it is recommendable to perform a Digital Body Mapping. It involves making digitized photographs of large areas of skin (middle back, lower back, arms, legs, thighs, and face) in order to detect changes in the number, size or shape of the skin lesions. The dermatologist can then automatically compare these lesions using a program called Bodyscan.
