Mr Zachary Moaveni - Plastic, Reconstructive & Hand Surgeon

Skin Cancer & Melanoma

Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC)
This is the most common type and is found on skin surfaces that are exposed to sun. A BCC remains localised and does not usually spread to other areas of the body.  Sometimes BCC’s can ulcerate and scab so it is important not to mistake it for a sore.

BCCs occur more commonly on the face, back of hands and back.  They appear usually as small, red lumps that don’t heal and sometimes bleed or become itchy. They have the tendency to change in size and sometimes in colour. 

Treatment
Often a BCC can be diagnosed just by its appearance.  In other cases it will be removed totally and sent for examination and diagnosis, or a biopsy may be taken and just a sample sent for diagnosis.

In most cases Mr Moaveni will remove BCCs under a local anaesthetic (numbing of the area) procedure. A  small number of BCCs may require a general anaesthetic for removal.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC)
This type of skin cancer also affects areas of the skin that have exposure to the sun.  The most common area is the face, but an SCC can also affect other parts of the body and can spread to other parts of the body.  The spreading (metastasising) can potentially be fatal if not successfully treated.

All SCCs will need to be removed, because of their potential for spread.  The surgery is usually similar to that for a BCC.

Malignant Melanoma
This is the most serious form of skin cancer. It can spread to other parts of the body and people can die from this disease.

A melanoma usually starts as a pigmented growth on normal skin.  They often, but not always, occur on areas that have high sun exposure.  In some cases, a melanoma may develop from existing pigmented moles.

What to look for:

• an existing mole that changes colour  (it may be black, dark blue or even red and white)
• the colour pigment may be uneven
• the edges of the mole/freckle may be irregular and have a spreading edge
• the surface of the mole/freckle may be flaky/crusted and raised
• sudden growth of an existing or new mole/freckle
• inflammation and or itchiness surrounding an existing or new mole/freckle.

Treatment
The sooner a melanoma is treated, there is less chance of it spreading. It is essential that any suspicious lesions are removed and tested. Melanomas that are caught and treated early have an excellent long term prognosis.

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