Skin cancers commonly affect the sun-exposed regions of the body. For this reason, a large proportion of skin cancers occur on the skin of the head and neck. Areas of the head and neck that receive direct exposure to the sun are at highest risk, including the nasal tip, scalp, top of the auricle (outer ear), and cheeks.
Skin cancer can appear as a rough area or scab on the skin. Skin cancer may be pigmented but are often non-pigmented as well. In some cases, pain or bleeding can occur. All lesions of the head and neck skin, and especially those lesions that are growing, irregularly shaped, forming scabs, or bleeding, should be evaluated by an Otorhinolaryngologist.
The diagnosis of skin cancer is often made by a reviewing the patient’s symptoms, a thorough physical exam, and office biopsy of the lesion. The majority of skin cancers are treated with surgical removal. Small skin cancers can be removed comfortably in our office procedure suite using local injections to numb the region. Large or complex lesions may require a visit to the operating room.
Surgery for skin cancer of the head and neck involves more than resection of the skin lesion with adequate tissue margins. The Otorhinolaryngologist must anticipate the resulting defect and how it may alter the appearance and function of the affected region. For instance, in removing skin cancer of the nasal tip, the surgeon must be prepared to restore both the cosmetic appearance of the nose as well as the nasal airway. The goals of restoring an aesthetic harmony and conserving functional aspects of the face can often be achieved by rearrangement of local skin in the region of the defect. Scars can often be concealed in naturally-occurring wrinkles or lines of the head and neck.