Cancer Articles (Dr. S.N White)

What are the major things I should be checking?  You might notice a pimple or a small sore that hasn't healed or disappeared but instead is gradually growing bigger. Or you may have had a skin lesion for many years which has started to grow or become irritated. As noted before, any pale, waxy, pearly looking lump which eventually becomes an open sore or any red, scaly, sharply outlined patches should be seen by a doctor. Moles which change in appearance or size are especially important to watch. Go to the doctor at once if any red, white, or particularly blue specks appear in a long standing mole. Moles that are a uniform bluish black, bluish gray, or of uneven surface also should be looked at by a doctor. If the mole begins to bleed, becomes darker in color, or has other tiny dark spots appearing in the skin around it, it may have become a malignant melanoma a condition which will be discussed later in this chapter. You should remember that any sore, blister, patch, pimple, or...

Fatty Tumors These go under the professional name of lipomas . Everywhere under the surface of the skin there is a layer of fat, whose thickness varies in different parts of the body. It is one of the reasons why the skin can be moved about without sticking to the structure underneath. Sometimes the fat is not laid out as a carpet under the skin but forms an encapsulated glob or distinct lump. The occurrence of these fatty tumors is not increased in overweight people. They occur anywhere but especially in the extremities, abdominal wall and back. Can you be absolutely sure that that is what it is?  There are no absolutes in surgery, but it is possible to be correct in this diagnosis in the vast majority of instances. Occasionally something is underneath the fatty tumor , and near the belly button and the groin there may be an underlying hernia. What should I do about it?  If the lipoma is small and doesn't bother you, let it alone. If it causes you concern, it can re...