This allows the specialist to balance treatment failure rates with potential risks and benefits, as well as insurance and cost concerns. Even in this Web site, we cannot describe all of the possible variations of skin cancer. The more cases your doctor has seen, the better honed the doctor's index of suspicion will be. These patients have found that Florida dermatologists usually see more skin cancer than dermatologists in northern climes. Although most skin growths are benign , any new growth on the skin or sore that does not heal should be brought to a doctor's attention at once to be checked for skin cancer.
Skin cancer has many different appearances.
Many skin cancers begin as small, waxy lumps that eventually bleed and crust, or as dry, scaly red patches. Unfortunately, these are rather crude and limited descriptions. Photographs are worth a thousand words in the skin-cancer game, so please refer to the photos. Also, a skin-cancer may be very small at first, and later may become very large. Tumor size is frequently not a helpful indicator.