is a spitz nevus cancer?
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A Spitz nevus is a rare type of skin mole that usually affects young people and children. Although it can look like a serious form of skin cancer called melanoma, a Spitz nevus lesion isn't considered cancerous. Read on to learn more about how you can detect these moles and how they're treated.
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Most moles are harmless. Rarely, they become cancerous. Monitoring moles and other pigmented patches is an important step in detecting skin cancer, especially malignant melanoma. The medical term for moles is nevi.
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The vast majority of skin cancers are basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas. While malignant, these are unlikely to spread to other parts of the body if treated early. They may be locally disfiguring if not treated early. A small but significant number of skin cancers are malignant melanomas.
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In most cases, cancerous lumps are red and firm and sometimes turn into ulcers, while cancerous patches are usually flat and scaly. Non-melanoma skin cancer most often develops on areas of skin regularly exposed to the sun, such as the face, ears, hands, shoulders, upper chest and back.
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Skin cancer on the sole of the foot is more aggressive. It's not unusual to have moles — or nevi, in medical terminology — anywhere on the body, including the soles of the feet and palms of the hands, said Dr.
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A dysplastic nevus is a type of mole that looks different from a common mole. (Some doctors use the term "atypical mole" to refer to a dysplastic nevus.) A dysplastic nevus may be bigger than a common mole, and its color, surface, and border may be different. It is usually more than 5 millimeters wide (1, 3).
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Melanoma skin cancer is also called cutaneous melanoma and malignant melanoma of the skin. There are 4 main types of melanoma skin cancer – superficial spreading, nodular, lentigo maligna and acral lentiginous.
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A dysplastic nevus can have a mixture of several colors, from pink to dark brown. Usually, it is flat with a smooth, slightly scaly, or pebbly surface, and it has an irregular edge that may fade into the surrounding skin. Some examples of dysplastic nevi are shown here. More examples are the What Does a Mole Look Like?
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Image Credit: National Cancer Institute, January 2013. Healthy moles and other skin cancers contain melanin, but amelanotic melanoma growths cannot produce melanin and therefore lack pigment. This usually results in a very pale pink or reddish lesion. Amelanotic melanoma is a relatively uncommon form of cancer.
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Atypical moles, also known as dysplastic nevi, are unusual-looking moles that have irregular features under the microscope. Though benign, they are worth more of your attention because individuals with atypical moles are at increased risk for melanoma, a dangerous skin cancer.
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['Basal cell carcinoma. Of the more than 3 million cases of skin cancer diagnosed every year, more than 80 percent are basal cell carcinoma, according to the American Cancer Society. ... ', 'Recurrent basal cell carcinoma. ... ', 'Squamous cell carcinoma. ... ', 'Melanoma. ... ', 'Merkel cell carcinoma. ... ', 'Rare skin cancers.']
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Basal cell carcinoma is the most common and easiest-to-treat skin cancer. Because basal cell carcinoma spreads slowly, it occurs mostly in adults. Basal cell tumors can take on many forms, including a pearly white or waxy bump, often with visible blood vessels, on the ears, neck, or face.
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It often requires a dermatologist to fully evaluate moles. For instance, a small blue or bluish-black spot, often called a blue nevus, is usually benign but often mistaken for melanoma. Conversely, a junctional nevus, which develops at the junction of the dermis and epidermis, is potentially cancerous.
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Any precancerous lesions need to be removed. Options include freezing (cryosurgery), laser, surgical removal, loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) and cold knife conization.
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Squamous Cell Carcinoma This nonmelanoma skin cancer may appear as a firm red nodule, a scaly growth that bleeds or develops a crust, or a sore that doesn't heal. It most often occurs on the nose, forehead, ears, lower lip, hands, and other sun-exposed areas of the body.
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Squamous cell carcinoma in situ, also called Bowen disease, is the earliest form of squamous cell skin cancer. “In situ” means that the cells of these cancers are still only in the epidermis (the upper layer of the skin) and have not invaded into deeper layers.
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Here are the basics on skin cancers: The vast majority of skin cancers are basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas. While malignant, these are unlikely to spread to other parts of the body if treated early. They may be locally disfiguring if not treated early.