Not every bump indicates cancer. Many are benign in nature and include cysts, styes, chalazions, hemangiomas, and other lesions. With any growth, however, it is important to have it diagnosed by a physician at its earliest appearance to rule out malignancy. Below are the most common bumps and lesions that we treat.

A Hemangioma is an abnormally dense collection of dilated small blood vessels (capillaries). A Hemangioma can occur anywhere on the body. Typically, it is a visibly red skin lesion that may be in the top skin layers (capillary hemangioma), deeper in the skin (cavernous hemangioma), or a mixture of both. Hemangiomas are present at birth, or appear shortly after birth. A Hemangioma often begins at a site that appears slightly dusky or differently colored than the surrounding tissue. Its growth rate varies and goes through stages of rapid growth, slower growth, and shrinking. Capillary hemangiomas commonly disappear with no intervention. Cavernous hemaniomas must be medically treated or will likely continue to grow in mass. A Hemangioma of the eyelid is of particular concern; it may interfere with the development of normal vision and must be treated in the first few months of life. Surgical removal may be the best option.

A chalazion is typically seen as a small lump near the edge of an eyelid. It is an enlargement of an oil-producing gland in the eyelid called the meibomian gland. It forms when the gland is clogged with oil secretions. A chalazion is not caused by an infection from bacteria and it is not cancerous. Sometimes, a chalazion may become red, swollen and tender. A larger chalazion may also cause blurred vision by distorting the shape of the eye. Occasionally, a chalazion can cause the entire eyelid to swell suddenly. A chalazion that recurs in the same place, especially after removal, may suggest a more serious problem that a biopsy can rule out.

There are effective treatments for chalazion, including surgical removal.

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form all cancers. It is also the most common type of skin cancer and it affects 800,000 Americans each year. These cancers arise in the basal cells, which are at the bottom of the epidermis (outer skin layer). BCC more commonly affects men than women but is not gender specific. Individuals at the highest risk are those with a fair complexion, have family history of skin cancer, or have had a high level of sun exposure.

A pink growth with a slightly elevated rolled border and a crusted indentation in the center. As the growth slowly enlarges, tiny blood vessels may develop on the surface. This is the most common appearance.

An open sore that bleeds, oozes, or crusts and remains open for three or more weeks. A persistent, non-healing sore is a common sign of an early basal cell carcinoma.

A shiny bump, or nodule, that is pearly or translucent and is often pink, red, or white. The bump can also be tan, black, or brown, especially in dark-haired people, and can be confused with a mole.

A scar-like area which is white, yellow or waxy, and often has poorly defined borders. The skin itself appears shiny and taut. This warning sign can indicate the presence of an aggressive tumor.

If a biopsy reveals BCC is present, there are several options for treatment. Surgical removal may provide the best course of action.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common skin cancer and effects more than 200,000 Americans each year. Squamous cells make-up the epidermis, or upper layer of skin. SCC may occur on all areas of the body including the mucous membranes, but are most common in areas exposed to the sun.

Although SCC is slow growing it will eventually penetrate the underlying tissues. If not treated, SCC can become disfiguring. In a small percentage of cases, SCC metastasize, or spread, to other tissues and organs. In this case, SCC can become fatal. But if caught at it¹s earliest stages, a simple surgical procedure or application of a topical chemotherapeutic agent will effectively treat it.

A wart-like growth that crusts and occasionally bleeds

A persistent, scaly red patch with irregular borders that sometimes crusts or bleeds

An open sore that bleeds and crusts and persists for weeks

An elevated growth with a central depression that occasionally bleeds. A growth of this type may rapidly increase in size.

If a biopsy reveals SCC present, there are several option for treatment. Surgical removal may provide the best course of action.

Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. However, early treatment results in high cure rates. If it is not treated early, the cancer can metastasize, or spread, to other parts of the body, where it becomes hard to treat and can be fatal. While it is not the most common of the skin cancers, it causes the most deaths. Melanoma will effect over 60,000 people a year in the United States.

Melanoma originates in melanocytes, the cells which produce the pigment melanin. Melanin colors our skin, hair, and eyes. It is heavily concentrated in most moles. The majority of melanomas are black or brown in color. However, melanomas occasionally stop producing pigment and become skin-colored, pink, red, or purple.

Everyone is at some risk for melanoma, but increased risk depends on several factors: sun exposure, number of moles on the skin, skin type, and family history. All these factors play important roles.

Regardless which factors you may have been exposed to, the more moles you have, the greater your risk for melanoma. There are two kinds of moles that a person can have: normal moles - the small brown blemishes, growths, or "beauty marks" that appear in the first few decades of life in almost everyone, and atypical moles, known as dysplastic nevi.

If you believe you are at risk for developing melanoma, or any skin cancer, you can protect yourself and your children by practicing safe sun habits, remembering to examine yourself regularly, watching for the warning signs and getting yearly exams with your doctor.

If a biopsy does reveal melanoma to be present, there are several options for treatment.

Depending on the size and nature of the lesion, treatments may vary. Some lesions may be easily excised in the office with local anesthesia. Some others may need more advanced excision methods and may be scheduled in a hospital or surgery center. Certain excision methods, such as a wedge excision, may also require reconstruction of the area involved.

In a lesion excision surgery, the physician, with a scalpel, removes the entire growth along with a small border of normal skin. This method ensures the entire growth is removed. The incision is closed and the removed lesion is sent to a laboratory. In the lab, it is verified that all cancerous cells have been removed. Recovery time for excisional surgery is short. Local or monitored anesthesia, or a combination, may be used.

Another common surgery to remove malignant lesions is called a Moh's Micrographic Surgery and it takes place in two stages. We work with a specially trained dermatogist, or Moh's surgeon, who will first surgically remove the visible lesion. Then, very thin layers of the remaining tissue that surrounds the lesion are removed. The skin is removed one layer at a time. Each layer is checked under a microscope and the procedure is repeated until the last layer of skin viewed is cancer-free.

Our physicians then close the defect created by the Moh's excision, possibly with a skin graft, in a procedure colloquially called a Moh's Closure. A Moh's Surgery provides the best functional and cosmetic result possible. It is possible to leave very little, if any, visible defects or scarring in the operated area.

The Moh's technique has the highest cure rate and can save the greatest amount of healthy tissue. It is often used for tumors that have recurred or are in hard-to-treat places such as the eyelid.

A local or monitored anesthesia, or a combination of both, may be used in a Moh's Closure. It is typically performed in a hospital or surgery center.

Other treatment options may exist, and our doctors can tell you the best course for your treatment.

For more information on skin cancer, including descriptions of different kinds of moles, visit skincancer.org.

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