Condition Lookup
Sub-Category:
Skin Cancers
Number of Conditions: 9
Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC)
Specialty: Dermatology
Category: Skin Tumors and Growths
Sub-category: Skin Cancers
Symptoms:
pearly or translucent nodules; central ulceration or crusting; rolled edges; visible blood vessels on lesion surface; commonly on sun-exposed areas like face and neck
Root Cause:
Malignant proliferation of basal cells in the epidermis due to DNA damage from UV exposure.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical examination, dermoscopy, and biopsy for confirmation.
Treatment:
Surgical excision, Mohs micrographic surgery, or topical therapies for superficial lesions.
Medications:
Topical imiquimod or 5-fluorouracil – for superficial BCC. Vismodegib – for advanced or metastatic BCC.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Most common skin cancer; lifetime risk is about 20% in fair-skinned individuals.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Chronic UV exposure, fair skin, history of sunburns, immunosuppression.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Excellent with early treatment; metastasis is extremely rare.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Local tissue destruction; Recurrence; Rare metastasis in neglected cases
Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC)
Specialty: Dermatology
Category: Skin Tumors and Growths
Sub-category: Skin Cancers
Symptoms:
firm, scaly, or crusted lesions; ulceration or non-healing sores; rough patches or plaques; commonly on sun-exposed areas
Root Cause:
Malignant transformation of keratinocytes in the epidermis, often due to chronic UV exposure.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical examination, dermoscopy, and biopsy for confirmation.
Treatment:
Surgical excision, Mohs surgery, or radiation therapy for inoperable cases.
Medications:
Systemic chemotherapy (e.g., cisplatin ) – for advanced SCC. Immunotherapy (e.g., cemiplimab ) – for metastatic cases.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Second most common skin cancer; more frequent in older adults.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Chronic UV exposure, fair skin, immunosuppression, and actinic keratosis.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with early detection; risk of metastasis increases with advanced lesions.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Metastasis to lymph nodes or distant organs; Local tissue destruction
Melanoma
Specialty: Oncology
Category: Solid Tumors
Sub-category: Skin Cancers
Symptoms:
new or changing mole; asymmetry in moles; irregular borders; multiple colors in a mole; increase in mole size; itching; bleeding or ulceration of the mole
Root Cause:
Uncontrolled growth of melanocytes (pigment-producing cells), often triggered by UV radiation-induced DNA damage or genetic mutations.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical examination, dermoscopy, skin biopsy (excisional or punch), sentinel lymph node biopsy for staging, and imaging studies (e.g., CT, PET, or MRI) for advanced cases.
Treatment:
Surgical excision (wide local excision), immunotherapy, targeted therapy, chemotherapy (less common), and radiation therapy (for advanced cases).
Medications:
Medications include immunotherapy drugs like nivolumab (a PD-1 inhibitor) or ipilimumab (a CTLA-4 inhibitor), and targeted therapies such as vemurafenib or dabrafenib (BRAF inhibitors) combined with trametinib (MEK inhibitor). These drugs belong to the classes of immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted small molecule inhibitors.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Approximately 1 in 27 men and 1 in 40 women are diagnosed with melanoma in their lifetime; incidence varies by region and skin type.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Fair skin, excessive UV exposure, family history of melanoma, numerous or atypical moles, history of severe sunburns, and genetic mutations (e.g., BRAF mutations).
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Early-stage melanoma has an excellent prognosis with a high survival rate, but advanced melanoma has poorer outcomes despite recent advances in therapy.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Metastasis to lymph nodes, lungs, liver, brain, or bones; lymphedema; secondary cancers; and side effects from immunotherapy or targeted therapy.
Merkel Cell Carcinoma
Specialty: Oncology
Category: Solid Tumors
Sub-category: Skin Cancers
Symptoms:
fast-growing, painless nodule; skin-colored, red, or blue lump on sun-exposed areas
Root Cause:
Neuroendocrine carcinoma originating from Merkel cells, often associated with Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) infection or UV exposure.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical examination, skin biopsy, imaging studies (e.g., CT, PET), and sentinel lymph node biopsy.
Treatment:
Surgical excision, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy for advanced cases.
Medications:
Avelumab (PD-L1 inhibitor) is FDA-approved for advanced Merkel cell carcinoma.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare, with approximately 2,500 cases annually in the U.S.; more common in older adults.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Advanced age, fair skin, excessive UV exposure, immunosuppression, and MCPyV infection.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Variable; localized disease has a good prognosis, but metastatic cases have a high mortality rate.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Rapid metastasis to lymph nodes and organs, recurrence, and complications from treatment.
Kaposi Sarcoma
Specialty: Oncology
Category: Solid Tumors
Sub-category: Skin Cancers
Symptoms:
purple, red, or brown skin lesions; lesions that may appear on mucous membranes or internal organs; swelling in affected limbs; gastrointestinal bleeding or respiratory symptoms in advanced cases
Root Cause:
Vascular tumor caused by infection with human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8), often occurring in immunocompromised individuals.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical examination, skin or lesion biopsy, immunohistochemical staining for HHV-8, and imaging studies to assess internal organ involvement.
Treatment:
Antiretroviral therapy (in HIV-associated cases), local therapy (cryotherapy, radiation, or surgical excision), systemic chemotherapy, and immunotherapy for advanced disease.
Medications:
Systemic therapy includes liposomal doxorubicin (a cytotoxic chemotherapy drug) and pomalidomide (an immunomodulator). Antiretroviral therapy is crucial in HIV-associated cases.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare in immunocompetent individuals but more common in HIV/AIDS patients, organ transplant recipients, and older men of Mediterranean or African descent.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
HIV infection, immunosuppression, organ transplantation, and infection with HHV-8.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Highly variable; excellent prognosis with antiretroviral therapy in HIV-associated cases, but poorer outcomes in systemic or aggressive forms.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Widespread systemic involvement, organ failure, and secondary infections.
Mycosis Fungoides (Cutaneous Lymphoma)
Specialty: Dermatology
Category: Skin Tumors and Growths
Sub-category: Skin Cancers
Symptoms:
scaly red patches or plaques; itchy lesions; tumors in advanced stages
Root Cause:
Malignant proliferation of T-cells in the skin.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Skin biopsy, blood tests for circulating malignant T-cells, and imaging for staging.
Treatment:
Topical therapies, phototherapy, systemic treatments, or stem cell transplantation for advanced cases.
Medications:
Topical corticosteroids or retinoids (e.g., bexarotene ). Phototherapy (e.g., PUVA). Chemotherapy (e.g., methotrexate ).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare; Mycosis Fungoides accounts for about 50% of cutaneous lymphomas.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Unknown; possible links to immune dysfunction or infections.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Variable; early-stage disease has a good prognosis, while advanced stages have a poorer outlook.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Progression to systemic lymphoma; Severe itching and skin breakdown
Sezary Syndrome (Cutaneous Lymphoma)
Specialty: Dermatology
Category: Skin Tumors and Growths
Sub-category: Skin Cancers
Symptoms:
diffuse redness and scaling of the skin; enlarged lymph nodes; circulating malignant t-cells in blood
Root Cause:
Malignant proliferation of T-cells in the skin.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Skin biopsy, blood tests for circulating malignant T-cells, and imaging for staging.
Treatment:
Topical therapies, phototherapy, systemic treatments, or stem cell transplantation for advanced cases.
Medications:
Topical corticosteroids or retinoids (e.g., bexarotene ). Phototherapy (e.g., PUVA). Chemotherapy (e.g., methotrexate ).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare; Mycosis Fungoides accounts for about 50% of cutaneous lymphomas.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Unknown; possible links to immune dysfunction or infections.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Variable; early-stage disease has a good prognosis, while advanced stages have a poorer outlook.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Progression to systemic lymphoma; Severe itching and skin breakdown
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Specialty: Oncology
Category: Solid Tumors
Sub-category: Skin Cancers
Symptoms:
red, scaly patch of skin; non-healing sore; raised growth with a central depression; wart-like growth that may bleed or crust
Root Cause:
Malignant proliferation of keratinocytes in the epidermis, frequently linked to UV damage, HPV infection, or chronic inflammation.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical evaluation, dermoscopy, skin biopsy (shave, punch, or excisional), and lymph node assessment for advanced disease.
Treatment:
Surgical excision (including Mohs surgery), cryotherapy, radiation therapy, and systemic therapy for advanced disease.
Medications:
Advanced or metastatic SCC may be treated with cemiplimab or pembrolizumab , both PD-1 inhibitors in the immunotherapy class.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Second most common skin cancer globally, with higher prevalence in older individuals and those with fair skin.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
UV exposure, fair skin, chronic wounds, immunosuppression, and HPV infection.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Excellent for localized SCC; poorer prognosis for advanced or metastatic disease.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Metastasis to lymph nodes and distant organs, local tissue destruction, and secondary infections.
Basal Cell Carcinoma
Specialty: Oncology
Category: Solid Tumors
Sub-category: Skin Cancers
Symptoms:
pearly or waxy bump on the skin; flat, flesh-colored or brown lesion; sores that bleed, crust, and don’t heal; rolled edges around a lesion
Root Cause:
Malignant transformation of basal cells in the epidermis, often caused by long-term UV radiation exposure or genetic predisposition (e.g., PTCH1 mutations).
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical examination, dermoscopy, and skin biopsy (shave, punch, or excisional).
Treatment:
Surgical excision (Mohs micrographic surgery for critical areas), topical therapies (e.g., imiquimod, 5-fluorouracil), cryotherapy, photodynamic therapy, or radiation therapy.
Medications:
Advanced cases may be treated with vismodegib or sonidegib , both of which are hedgehog pathway inhibitors.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
The most common skin cancer, with millions of cases diagnosed annually worldwide, especially in individuals over 50 with fair skin.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Prolonged sun exposure, fair skin, age, family history of skin cancer, and immunosuppression.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Excellent prognosis with early detection and treatment; rarely metastasizes but can cause significant local tissue damage.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Local tissue invasion, disfigurement, and rarely metastasis in neglected or advanced cases.