Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Hi, I’m Dr. Matheson Harris with Utah Oculoplastic Consultants in Salt Lake City, Utah. Skin cancer
of the eyelids is relatively common, especially in the west where lots of us spend time
in the sun. The eyelid skin is the thinnest and most sensitive skin
on your body. As a result, this is often the first area on your face to show change from sun damage
and aging. Unfortunately, solar damage
and other environmental toxins cause the skin to age and can cause cancer.
The presence of a bump or growth on the eyelid that is enlarging,
bleeds or forms a scab should be looked at by a medical doctor
trained in recognizing these types of growths.
Basal cell skin cancers represent ninety percent of eyelid tumors
and grow slowly over months to years. They usually appear
as a pearly nodule or bump that eventually starts to break down and bleed or scab.
Despite being a cancer, these tumors don’t spread to distant areas,
but mainly just continue to grow and infiltrate the surrounding tissue
causing a lot of damage. They can be cured
by simple surgical removal followed by reconstruction of the defect left behind, if they are caught early.
Squamous cell tumors are less common but are more aggressive.
They can eventually spread to other parts of the body.
Early detection and removal are key. The will appear as a rough
crusty or red spot where the skin is changing or breaking down.
These are harder to spot sometimes so it is important you see your doctor regularly
if you have a history of skin cancer so they aren’t missed.
Melanoma is the least common, by most dangerous eyelid skin cancer.
It usually appears as an irregular brown spot.
If left to grow, it can invade into the deep tissues and spread to other parts of the body.
Melanoma can be lethal, so have any suspicious spots checked out as soon as you notice them.
Skin cancers often needs to be removed by a surgeon who can also
reconstruct the eyelid or area where the tumor was removed.
We often perform small tumor removals in the clinic, but often we must
use a surgical facility with an on site pathologist who can immediately examine
the specimen to ensure the whole tumor was removed.
Other times we work together with a dermatologist specializing in Mohs surgery,
where they completely remove the tumor and reconstruct the defect they create.
The most important thing to remember
with skin cancer is to have any suspicious growth checked out while it is small.
The larger it gets, the bigger the surgery to remove it and close the defect.
If you have any questions about skin cancer, email me directly,
or call our office for a visit. Thanks for visiting Utah Oculoplastic Consultants.
We look forward to helping you feel and look your best.