BCC (Basal Cell Carcinoma) is not your BFF

March 6, 2013 - PRLog -- Basal cell carcinoma or BCC is the most common type of skin cancer in Caucasians. It is estimated that the skin cancer will affect nearly two million people this coming year. It is estimated that teens between the ages of 15-17 has a 28-33% chance of developing BCC.

BCC is associated with excessive UV exposure, and can be found on those sites of the body where sun exposure is more frequently exposed to the sun, such as the arms and face. BCC can occur anywhere on the body, however, even in places not exposed to light as often.

Dr. Marcy Street, the nation’s first African American female MOHS surgeon and a Mayo-clinic trained board certified dermatologist explains, ‘I have seen multiple unusual basal cell carcinomas over the years, and many look very different.  The unusual ones are often misdiagnosed as a rash and treated with creams. We all have to raise our awareness and question any spot that does not resolve with our first line of therapy.’  

‘Being quick to biopsy a suspicious spot on a patient can save lives,’ Dr. Street advises.

While tools such as dermatoscopes improve the clinician’s ability to confidently diagnose skin cancers (melanoma), and modalities such as Mohs micrographic surgery offer improved therapeutic outcomes, the initial identification of suspicious tumors depends on keen-eyed clinicians. The development of a visual memory store of unusual lesion types and locations is an essential tool for the dermatologist.

Dr. Marcy Street, board certified, Mayo clinic trained dermatologist has been in private practice for nearly 20 years. She is a recognized skin care and skin cancer expert who has had many articles published in popular magazines, professional journals and newspapers. She is also the first Black female Mohs Surgeon in the nation. Dr. Street has also has been interviewed on radio and television, and has spoken to physicians’ groups in both the United States and abroad as a skin cancer expert. She is also the founder of a skin care line also under the name Doctor’s Approach.

For more information about Doctor’s Approach, please visit  www.DrsApproach.com