Did you know one out of five Americans will develop skin cancer1 by age 70? Thankfully, when caught early, most skin cancers2 can be treated and cured before they spread, become more dangerous, or cause permanent skin damage.
That’s why it is so important to keep an eye out for signs of skin cancer, including skin cancer on your eyelids and around your eye, and seek advice from a dermatologist or medical doctor right away if you see something new or different on your skin.
Skin cancer occurs when abnormal cells in the outer layer of skin start to grow uncontrollably. This happens because of damage to skin cell DNA. These damaged cells can develop mutations (abnormal changes) in their genes, which cause the cells to multiply and form tumors.
There are many types of skin cancer, but the three most common types of skin cancer are:
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC)
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)
Melanoma
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer3, accounting for about eight out of 10 skin cancer diagnoses. While less common than BCC and SCC, melanoma is the most dangerous of these types of cancer and can spread and become fatal if not caught in time.
While the specific cause of skin cancer is not necessarily known, many factors can increase your risk of skin cancer4, including:
Using tanning beds
Sunburns
Having a fair complexion and/or red hair
Genetics
Having an outdoor job
Atypical moles
While these factors may increase your risk of developing skin cancer, there are also steps you can take to help lower your risk and keep your skin healthy.
These protective strategies include:
Wearing sunscreen
Wearing sun-protective clothes
Wearing a wide-brimmed hat
Staying in the shade when outdoors
Checking your skin regularly
Eating a nutritious diet
Early detection of skin cancer is key. But what does skin cancer look like?
Dermatologists recommend checking your skin regularly for signs of changes and monitoring moles for the ABCDEs of melanoma5 (which can also help detect all kinds of skin cancer).
When checking moles, check their:
Asymmetry: is half of your mole a different shape than the other half?
Border: does it have an irregular or poorly defined border?
Color: is your mole multiple shades or colors?
Diameter: is the mole larger than the eraser on a pencil?
Evolving: is your mole growing, changing shape, or turning a different color?
If you notice any of these changes or any new lumps or bumps on your skin, consult your doctor right away. Remember, early detection is key!
Yes, skin cancer can, and often does, occur around your eyes. In fact, the eyelid is a pretty common place6 for skin cancer to occur.
The most common type of skin cancer to grow around the eyes is basal cell carcinoma. While this doesn’t usually spread to other parts of the body, it can cause cosmetic changes and disfigurement around the eyes if they grow large.
Squamous cell carcinomas and melanomas can also grow on the eyelid, but this is not as common.
Thankfully, most eyelid cancers respond well to early treatment. But, if left untreated10, they can become dangerous, spread, disfigure the area around your eye, and even affect your vision.
Most of the time, skin cancer around the eyes is treated with a surgery called Mohs surgery, where a specially trained surgeon removes the tumor in stages. After each stage, the surgeon looks at the tissue under a microscope to see where any cancer cells remain. More layers are carefully removed until no cancer cells remain.
This type of surgery is highly effective at removing cancer while sparing as much non-cancer tissue as possible.
You can help protect the skin around your eyes11 (including your eyelids) from developing skin cancer by practicing good habits with the sun, including:
When applying sunscreen, make sure you get the skin around your eyes, an area often missed.
Wear a hat when outside.
If you spend a lot of time outdoors, talk with your VSP® network doctor at your next eye appointment. Not only will they check your eye health and vision, but they can also help you find the right products to help keep your eyes and the delicate skin around them safe from the sun's damaging rays.
This article previously appeared on VSP®, Delta Dental of Tennessee’s DeltaVision® partner.