"Experts Explain How To Detect The Warning Signs Of Skin Cancer" - Jennifer Fabiano

Skin cancer, defined by the fact that it starts on the skin, is more common in the United States than all other human cancers combined. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer with an estimated two to four million cases in the United States each year. The second most common type of skin cancer is squamous cell carcinoma, which occurs in approximately one million people in the U.S. per year. Melanoma is the least common of the three types but appears in over 90,000 people in the U.S. per year. Melanoma starts with a horizontal growth pattern before it travels to a deeper layer. According to Hooman Khorasani, MD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology and chief of the division of Mohs, Reconstructive and Cosmetic Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, melanoma is most common in older adults, though in recent years one specific group has emerged to be at a higher risk for melanoma: young women in the United States. “Early detection is extremely important,” Dr. Khorasani said. “Melanoma is directly related to the depth of spread…meaning the earlier you catch it, the easier it is to treat it. The deeper the cancer spreads, the harder it is to treat it.”

- Hooman Khorasani, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor, Dermatology, Chief, Division of Mohs, Reconstructive and Cosmetic Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

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