Skin Cancer Specialist
Atlantic Plastic Surgery
Plastic Surgeons located in Salisbury, MD & West Ocean City, MD
Years of sun exposure and genetics can put you in the same category as the 3.3 million Americans who are diagnosed with skin cancer each year. Jason T. Arrington, MD, of Atlantic Plastic Surgery is a board-certified plastic surgeon who is an expert at diagnosing and treating skin cancer. Skin cancer is highly treatable if you address it promptly. To get a suspicious spot checked out, use the online booking tool to schedule your appointment, or call one of the offices in Salisbury and Ocean City, Maryland.
Skin Cancer Q & A
How does skin cancer develop?
When your body fails to repair the damage to the DNA inside your skin cells, they divide and grow exponentially. The damage to your cells may be the result of overexposure to the sun, genetics, or skin type. Experts think most cases of skin cancer are probably the result of sun-damaged skin.
What are the types of skin cancer?
There are three major types of skin cancer. The most common is basal cell carcinoma, which occurs when the cells just below the surface of your skin are damaged.
Another common form of skin cancer is squamous cell carcinoma, which develops on the surface of your skin. Melanoma is usually considered the most serious type of skin cancer, and occurs when the cells that give your skin its pigment, called melanocytes, become darkened and damaged by the sun.
What are the signs and symptoms of skin cancer?
Skin cancer may first appear as a bump, a dark spot, or a wound on your skin that doesn’t heal. Sometimes a spot may itch, bleed, or hurt, but typically, you won’t have any unpleasant symptoms in the early stages of skin cancer. Basal cell carcinoma commonly appears in areas on your body that get the most sun exposure like your face, head, and neck.
Basal cell cancer signs and symptoms include:
- Flat, firm areas that resemble a scar
- Raised red patches that may itch
- Small pink, red, or shiny bumps with a dark area
- Pink growths with abnormal blood vessels like the spokes of a wheel
Squamous cell cancer symptoms appear as raised lumps, growths that resemble warts, or rough, scaly red patches of skin that sometimes bleed.
Melanoma can begin with a mole or freckle that changes size, shape, color, or starts to bleed. Spots may be a number of colors, such as dark brown, black, red, or even blue, and the borders may be irregular. Melanoma can develop anywhere, even on your palms, the soles of your feet, or in mucus membranes lining your nose or mouth.
If you have a spot that changes, it’s a good idea to let Dr. Arrington examine it, because early diagnosis and regular monitoring are essential for treating skin cancer successfully. Dr. Arrington and his team perform comprehensive head-to-toe screenings, so you can potentially avoid more serious complications from skin cancer that’s left untreated.
Call either location or schedule your skin cancer screening using the online booking system.