First, I would like to thank the readers and viewers who wrote after I shared the story of my pre-melanoma. Everything is healing, I’m fine and I appreciate all of your good wishes.
In addition, several people brought up additional points about skin cancer that I would like to address:
Watch out for itchy molesA 40-year-old man from Austin, Texas, who admittedly is high-risk (red hair and freckles), was diagnosed last month with malignant melanoma. In his case, the malignant mole had “none of the visual hallmarks” of this disease, but it itched.
He feels people should be warned about itchy moles, and I agree.
Does one melanoma signal another?Another man, from Connecticut, had a diagnosis of melanoma after finding an odd-looking mole. “How likely is it that other moles will develop into this type of skin cancer?” he asks.
Unfortunately, having one melanoma translates into an increased likelihood of developing another. The risk is about 5 percent.
So it is important to continue close surveillance with a dermatologist as well as to take precautions against sun exposure.
Just age? Or cancer?A woman from Virginia wonders about the difference between pre-melanoma “spots” and age spots.
Age spots, those pigmented areas of skin that arise as we get older, are usually lighter, flatter or redder than melanoma. They don’t have irregularities within the pigmented surface.
Some of these spots can become more than a sign of age. They may indeed be precancerous lesions called actinic keratoses, which can undergo malignant change, becoming squamous cell carcinoma. This accounts for about 20 percent of non-melanoma skin cancers.
Although far less dangerous than melanoma; squamous-cell carcinoma on rare occasions can invade tissues beneath the skin and spread to lymph nodes. This cancer, which involves superficial skin cells, is usually due to skin damage from chronic exposure to the sun and thus occurs in the most exposed areas -- the face and neck.
More than half of fair-skinned middle-aged persons living in hot, sunny areas will develop actinic keratoses. So if you have an age spot, especially if it is raised, reddish-brown or gray, have your dermatologist look at it. The doctor might do a biopsy or treat it with excision (minor surgery), liquid nitrogen, laser therapy or one of the newly approved “cancer fighting” gels or creams.
Basal-cell carcinoma
Since I am talking about cancers of the skin, I would be remiss not to mention basal-cell carcinoma, which accounts for nearly 80 percent of non-melanoma skin cancers. Here, the deeper cells become malignant, again mostly from chronic sun exposure. This type of cancer rarely metastasizes (spreads to other parts of the body).
Basal-cell lesions begin as see-through raised pink nodules, often with scaly patches or raised blood vessels on the surface. They can be treated with excision.
Dr. Reichman’s Bottom Line: As you know, exposure to the sun can be dangerous. If you see any suspicious spots on your skin, have a dermatologist assess them.
Dr. Judith Reichman, the “Today” show's medical contributor on women's health, has practiced obstetrics and gynecology for more than 20 years. You will find many answers to your questions in her latest book, "Slow Your Clock Down: The Complete Guide to a Healthy, Younger You," published by William Morrow, a division of .
PLEASE NOTE: The information in this column should not be construed as providing specific medical advice, but rather to offer readers information to better understand their lives and health. It is not intended to provide an alternative to professional treatment or to replace the services of a physician.