Skin tumors – is the skin change benign or malignant? – 2022

Not all skin tumors are malignant and require treatment. In medicine, the term tumor simply means an increase in tissue (neoplasia). In the case of a large number of tumors, however, it is advisable to seek specialist advice.

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Skin tumors – is the skin change benign or malignant?

Not all skin tumors are malignant and require treatment. In medicine, the term tumor simply means an increase in tissue (neoplasia). In the case of a large number of tumors, however, it is advisable to seek specialist advice.

The term “tumor”, which is often mistakenly equated with “cancer”, means “swelling” and says nothing about whether a skin change is benign or malignant. Just as there is not only “black” and “white” in life, skin tumors not only have malignant and benign tumors, but also those that, viewed in terms of colour, should be described as “grey”. Some of the most common skin tumors are described in more detail below.

Malignant skin tumors: melanoma, spinalioma, basalioma

Malignant melanoma

Malignant melanoma (synonyms: melanoma, black skin cancer) is a malignant tumor originating from the pigment-forming cells (melanocytes). It is the most malignant of all skin cancers. The melanoma not only grows very quickly, but often leads to “offshoots” (metastases) very early on. Malignant melanoma is responsible for over 90 percent of skin cancer deaths.

Unfortunately, the incidence (number of new cases in a certain period) of melanoma is also increasing in Switzerland .

Malignant melanomas can look very diverse. The often difficult diagnosis of pigmented skin changes requires good specialist knowledge and belongs in the hands of a dermatologist. There is a risk of confusion with harmless birthmarks or so-called “senile warts”. Malignant melanomas arise from pre-existing moles in only 30 percent of cases. In 70 percent of cases, they arise again, on clinically healthy skin. They can also occur on skin areas that are not primarily visible (e.g. scalp, oral cavity, etc.).

Spinalioma

Spinalioma (prickly cell cancer, spinocellular carcinoma) is a skin cancer that starts from the prickly cells of the epidermis. The spinalioma grows much more slowly than the malignant melanoma and, after an initially locally destructive phase, metastases only develop at a late stage. Spinalioma almost always develops on sun-damaged skin and mucous membranes. Years of UV exposure are considered the most important risk factor.

Spinaliomas usually present clinically as skin-colored, occasionally keratinizing skin tumors. The spinalioma must also be surgically removed.

Basalioma

Basaliomas (basal cell cancer, “white skin cancer”) are less aggressive and grow much more slowly than malignant melanomas or spinaliomas. Metastases are usually not formed. Basal cell carcinomas also develop primarily on UV-damaged skin, whereby sporadic, rather than chronic, UV damage seems to be responsible for their development.

Basal cell carcinomas also appear clinically in a wide variety of forms and can look very similar to “senile warts” or moles, but also scars or even eczema.

It is the task of us specialists to be able to distinguish basal cell carcinomas from other skin changes and tumors. The therapy depends on the histologically proven type of basal cell carcinoma and the localization and is mostly surgical. Superficial basal cell carcinomas can also occasionally be treated with special creams or cryotherapy.

Actinic keratosis

Actinic keratoses (AK, obsolete actinic “precancer”) correspond to chronic keratinization disorders of the skin caused by cumulative UV radiation. Accordingly, they are increasingly found in older people and there predominantly on chronically light-exposed skin areas (e.g. forehead, nose, cheeks, bald head, back of the hand). Actinic keratoses are precursors of skin cancer because over time (months to years) they can develop into malignant tumors such as spinalioma. However, this conversion only takes place in about 10 percent of cases and usually takes place slowly over years. Nevertheless, we recommend having actinic keratoses treated professionally and at an early stage. As a rule, local, non-surgical measures (cryotherapy, special creams, laser) are sufficient to treat actinic keratoses.

Benign skin tumors

There are a number of benign skin tumors that are occasionally purely cosmetically disturbing. Benign skin tumors include, for example, various types of birthmarks (nevi), fibromas (connective tissue tumors), lipomas (fatty tissue growths), senile warts, hemangiomas, etc. They can be distinguished from inflammatory skin changes that are also benign (such as viral warts). You can find out whether and how a disturbing skin change can best be treated cosmetically during our consultation hours.

Hello our dear visitor. Welcome to the largest ongoing health tourism site in Turkey. Do not make any attempt to benefit from any health service in Turkey without consulting us.
You can write to info@bmhealth-care.com for any questions you may have.