Can a doctor tell if something is skin cancer by just looking?
Thursday, October 15th, 2009 at
10:47 pm
T asked:
I have a red itchy, burning patch on my skin that is not leaving…(near my eye) The doctor is not concerned about it and I tend to worry. How does a doctor decide when to biopsy something? Can they tell visually if something is skin cancer or not from all their years of schooling?
Tagged with: Biopsy • Doctor Skin • Skin Cancer
Filed under: Cancer
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Smoking Effects
To an extent, yes a doctor can tell some things based on appearance and experience. Skin cancer doesn’t usually have a red appearance, nor does it generally itch or burn. You wouldn’t be surprised if the doctor told you a rash was hives, and you could trust the diagnosis without having to have a biopsy done. This falls into that same category. You can also get a diagnosis from a simple skin scraping, without having to remove a patch of skin at all, in a lot of skin disorders. Most skin cancer starts with a mole or freckle, and not just a random patch of skin. So your doctor would be able to make a good diagnosis based on appearance and experience, yes.
Smoking Effects
Most skin flaws a Dr will be able to answer a definite yes or no to skin cancer.
There are some that fall into the “suspicious” category, which means they need a biopsy to be done.
It sounds like yours does not even fall into the “suspicious” category.
It sounds more like an allergy or reaction from your description.
Cancer from smoking
See a dermatologist if you have a sore or scab that doesn’t heal in about two weeks or a flat patch of scaly skin that won’t go away. There are local skin cancers that appear as red, flaky patches (Squamous cell carcinomas).