Denver has a lot of eyelid cancer. I know because I treat them. There are several types of eyelid cancer. The most common is basal cell carcinoma. The second is squamous cell carcinoma. Finally there is melanoma and sebaceous cell carcinoma the two most serious eyelid carcinomas.
Basal Cell Carcinoma
Basal Cell Carcinoma is the most common eyelid cancer. It can be found anywhere on the face and 20% of the time it is found near or on the eyelid. Studies recently show that sunblock is not properly applied by most people on the eyelids and nose with resulting disproportionate amounts of skin cancer there. Treatment is with a MOHS surgeon with reconstruction by an oculoplastic surgeon. Basal Cell commonly doesn’t metastasize but can spread directly into adjacent structures. Once you have a basal cell cancer you have a 50% chance of getting another so these patients require 6 month checks for skin cancer for life.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Squamous Cell Carcinoma is the second most common eyelid cancer of the eyelid. It rarely spreads to other organs. Like Basal Cell Carcinoma it is removed with a MOHS surgeon and oculoplastic surgeon. The precursor for Squamous Cell Carcinoma is often found and it is called actinic keratosis. It is a very common finding in sun exposed skin such as face and eyelid.
Malignant Melanoma
This is less common. There are different types of Melanoma which are staged based on the depth of the cancer. Melanoma in situ is only on the superficial layer whereas Breslow staging is done to look at the different subtypes of Malignant Melanoma. The deeper the melanoma the more serious it is. Sometimes lymph node biopsies are done and the body has to be checked for metastasis.
Sebaceous Cell Carcinoma
Sebaceous Cell Carcinoma is very serious but very deadly. It can often masquerade as a stye or chalazion. It is a cancer of the oil gland of the eyelid. Treatment involves excision and chemotherapy. An oncologist is utilized for management as well.
These are the summaries of Denver eyelid cancers that commonly are seen in my office. As an oculoplastic surgeon, I treat a large number of them often. The key is early detection. If you have a bump or growth come in and we can check it out. Often we can perform a biopsy to determine if it is serious or benign. Thank you.