Skin cancer –
Skin cancer prevention – Skin screening

The number of skin cancer cases is increasing rapidly worldwide. In Germany alone, about 200,000 people get white skin cancer every year and about 36,000 get black skin cancer, the most malignant form. In the next 20 years, we even expect a doubling of cases.

These numbers are alarming! And especially here on Mallorca, we see an increase every year due to many years of daily unprotected UV exposure.

The positive news: skin cancer is easily treatable if detected early. Therefore, have your skin examined regularly by a dermatologist! And don’t just rely on the expertise of your family doctor, but also on the latest technology used by experienced specialists.

Skin cancer care is perfect for:

Ideally, you should have skin cancer care annually. If you belong to a risk group, we recommend a closer check every 3 to 6 months – depending on your personal situation.
In the following cases, a close-meshed check is advisable:

• Appearance of new moles
• Known and relevant dermatological findings
• Bekannte und relevante dermatologische Befunde
• Survived skin cancer / skin cancer precursors

Our skin cancer care is suitable for all patients, i.e. women and men of all age groups.

Only through professional, regular check-ups can you be sure that your skin is healthy. Because our health is the highest good and deserves to be cared for and maintained!
A mole is worrying you, has newly appeared or is changing? Come to our mySkin clinic and let us examine you!

Early skin cancer detection through Automated Total Body Mapping by Fotofinder Systems

For the sake of your health, our goal is not early detection of skin cancer, but earliest detection!

71% of all melanomas do not develop from existing moles, but suddenly appear on healthy skin.
In order to diagnose these as early as possible, holistic screening includes not only individual moles, but the entire skin.

Automated Body Mapping is a system that can identify and track pigment spots and other suspicious skin changes on the patient’s entire body. We do this by using a special camera and advanced image processing software to capture images of the patient’s skin. The system then creates a body map of all your pigmentary changes and skin lesions like a mosaic. These images are then analysed by the AI software to identify suspicious skin changes. The AI then creates a body map to accurately mark all the suspicious areas and track the changes over time.

We simultaneously take magnified images of suspicious findings with a special high-resolution camera (up to 240x), compare the data with previous skin findings and analyse them for malignancy. Even the smallest changes can be detected with this procedure. This helps to avoid unnecessary operations. The recorded areas are of course subsequently examined by our experienced dermatologist and discussed with you.

With this worldwide most modern skin screening procedure, we are able to safely monitor your skin and detect abnormalities as early as possible and then treat them. Do something good for your skin and make an appointment today!

How does a skin check using Automated Total Body Mapping from FotoFinder Systems work?

Automated Body Mapping is the most advanced technology used for skin cancer screening. Very few clinics around the world have access to this unique method. We are proud to be able to offer our patients the best method of skin cancer screening currently available. Our patients appreciate this very much and come from all over the world to be examined and treated at our clinic.

Here we explain step-by-step how a skin cancer screening using Automated Body Mapping works:

1. preparation: the skin cancer screening is carried out in a specially equipped room at mySkin. Here you can undress down to your underwear in peace and protection. Then a high-resolution camera takes overview pictures at a hygienic distance of over 1.6 metres. Thanks to the spectacular image quality, the video dermatoscopy – i.e. the close-up pictures – are reduced to the few atypical lesions that require further clarification. Make sure you do not apply any cosmetics or lotions to your skin as these may affect the results of the examination.
2. analysis of the images: The software uses artificial intelligence to identify suspicious skin lesions such as pigmentation spots or moles. In this step, all identified spots on your body are displayed like a mosaic. The results of the analysis are recorded in a body map on which all suspicious areas are precisely marked.
3. examination by the dermatologist: After the images have been analysed, the dermatologist examines the suspicious areas again with a close-up image in which moles can be magnified up to 240x. In this step, we decide whether the moles can be observed or whether it is better to take out a conspicuous spot. In addition, we also examine your skin for sun damage and skin cancer precursors in this step.
4. Follow-up: follow-up: The next time you come to mySkin for your skin check with Automated Body Mapping, the artificial intelligence will already notice small changes in your moles. Of course, the system will also point out any new lesions that have appeared, which will then be specifically checked in the next step.
   Regular skin cancer screening should take place at least once a year, unless you are a high-risk patient and have already had skin cancer. Then the dermatologist will recommend personalised closer checks.

Skin cancer – how does it develop?

Any sunburn on the skin, especially those in childhood, cause long-term damage to certain skin cells that increase your risk of skin cancer. Therefore, sunburns should be avoided at any age.

Other crucial risk factors for developing melanoma also include:

• A large number of pigmented moles
• light skin type
• Genetic factors

In addition to dangerous melanoma, there are other types of skin cancer. Actinic keratoses (AKs) are a common skin disease caused by long-term sun exposure. The main cause of actinic keratoses is long-term sun exposure. People with fair skin and those who regularly exercise in the fresh air – such as golfers, tennis players, cyclists and water sports enthusiasts – are particularly at risk.

UV rays damage the DNA in skin cells and can cause your cells to multiply uncontrollably. This can lead to precancerous skin conditions such as actinic keratoses.

Can a dermatologist detect skin cancer?

Yes, a dermatologist can detect skin cancer. Thanks to our expertise and the use of modern digital dermoscopy and additional artificial intelligence-based analysis, we can diagnose skin cancer at an early stage and treat it in the best possible way. Thanks to modern image qualities, the diagnosis can be made at the earliest stage.

How bad is skin cancer?

Due to their very early tendency to metastasise via the blood and lymph vessels, melanomas are among the most malignant forms of cancer and can even be life-threatening. Cure rates depend very significantly on the depth of penetration of the melanoma at the time of detection.

If detected early, black skin cancer (melanoma) is curable. White skin cancer (basalioma, spinalioma) and skin cancer precursors can usually even be treated well.

Extensive chronic light damage requires constant monitoring and therapy. Do not hesitate and take your health into your own hands – a simple test procedure could save your health or even your life!

What does black skin cancer look like?

Clinically, melanomas vary between a flat spot, nodule or lump. The colour ranges from red, brown, black or shaded. Melanomas can occur on all parts of the body, both on UV-exposed areas, but also in the mucous membrane area (genital, oral cavity), on the soles of the feet, under the nail.

During the full body skin check at the mySkin clinic, this melanoma on the arm was noticed. Only in the video dermatoscope do you see the obvious irregularities.

What is a mole?

A mole is a cluster of pigment-forming cells in the skin. These can be spread all over your body and range from light to dark brown. People have more or fewer moles depending on their genetic make-up and skin type. These develop in the course of life and are actually harmless.

What types of skin cancer are there?

We distinguish between two main types of skin cancer: black and light skin cancer.

Black skin cancer malignant melanoma): Melanomas either develop from existing moles or are newly formed on healthy skin. Malignant melanoma often forms metastases and is therefore the most dangerous type of skin cancer.

Light skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma as well as their precursors, the so-called actinic keratoses): Light skin cancer is the most common type of cancer worldwide. It very often develops on the so-called sun terraces, such as the bald head, forehead, nose, cheeks and ears. The increasing rates of basal cell carcinoma are probably due to a combination of the following factors:

• Frequent UV exposure (sun and solarium)
• Increasing recreational and outdoor activities
• Changes in clothing style
• Increasing age
• Decrease in the ozone layer

Don’t leave your health to chance and be sure to get regular check-ups!

The nose is a typical site for basal cell carcinoma. To the naked eye it can be mistaken for a pimple, but in the video dermatoscope you can see the typical, distinct vessels.

On Mallorca, we often see spinocellular carcinoma on the lip. Especially people who spend a lot of time outdoors in their free time are at risk.

Precancerous skin lesions (actinic keratoses)

These are very often sun spots on the skin, i.e. the bald spot, on the face on the forehead, nose and cheeks, on the auricles and on the backs of the hands. Chronic UV radiation causes changes in the genetic code of epidermal cells, making them atypical. Gradually, these abnormal cells replace the normal epidermis and lead to a disruption of the keratinisation process of your skin.

They begin as small circumscribed rough patches that are much easier to palpate than to see and may be skin-coloured, reddish or brownish. Actinic keratoses can be flat or hyperkeratotic, and sometimes they are sensitive to touch. They are usually adherent, and can bleed quickly when scraped off. A common indication is that the keratosis keeps growing back despite repeated scraping.

If actinic keratoses are not discovered in time, they can develop into invasive squamous cell carcinoma (spinalioma).

Here you can see the typical distribution of actinic keratoses on the forehead with videodermatoscopic images. A typical feature is the rough feeling on the skin, which you can feel yourself.

Am I a risk patient for skin cancer?

If you can answer “YES” to any of the questions, you should definitely see a dermatologist:

• Are you a fair skin type that is sensitive to the sun?
• Do you have a lot of pigmentation marks?
• Do you have large, congenital pigmented moles?
• Do you have atypical moles or moles that have recently changed?
• Did you have sunburns as a child or teenager?
• Have there been any cases of skin cancer in your family?
• Have you had skin cancer yourself?
• Are you regularly exposed to strong sunlight?

Common symptoms of skin cancer:

Of course, you can also perform regular examinations of your skin on your own. If you observe a change in existing moles, the appearance of new moles, or particular sensitivity, seeing a specialist is appropriate.

In addition, you should follow the ABCDE rule during self-examination:

• A = Asymmetry: uneven, asymmetrical shape
• B = Boundary: fringed, jagged or washed-out edges
• C = Coloration: different color components (shades of brown, gray, black or red)
• D = Diameter: greater than 5 mm
• E = Development/heaviness: newly formed, change in the last three months, rapidly grown, bleeding, itching, nodular surface

If you notice any of these symptoms, do not hesitate to visit our clinic. Using the latest technologies, we will determine whether or not there is a health problem – Let us advise you!

When was your last skin check?

Regular, annual skin cancer screening is the best and most effective way to detect skin cancer at an early stage and, if necessary, to treat it specifically.

We will be happy to include you in our recall system and remind you of the next check once a year by e-mail or WhatsApp.

In case of changes in your skin, please make an appointment with our specialists as soon as possible!

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