Cancer screenings: Early detection equals cure in many cases

Catch cancer early — that’s the point of a cancer screening. During an annual check-up we focus on early detection of cancer. There are things that you can do to monitor for early cancer development and tests your doctor should recommend you consider as well.

SKIN CHECK

Skin cancer is most prevalent in sunny Colorado. In sun-exposed skin we see crusty little pre-cancers called “actinic keratoses” all the time. These are from sun damage and are common on the face and arms. The more irritated scaly gray “squamous cell” and the smooth gray “basal cell” skin cancers are more serious and generally need excision.

None of the above is as dangerous as the dreaded “malignant melanoma.” The brown mole that grows and turns black is the classic presentation. I find several of these each year during routine annual check-ups. And several times each year a patient comes in concerned about a changing mole that ends up being melanoma.

The ‘ABCD’ mnemonic reminds us to watch for changes in Appearance, definition of Border, any change in Color or Diameter. Basically, if anything changes with a mole get it checked! With early excision we usually catch and cure melanoma.

COLONOSCOPY

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