Basal and squamous cell carcinomas. What every primary care physician should know

Skin cancer screening should be a part of every routine physical examination, and suspicious lesions should be biopsied. Basal and squamous cell carcinomas are highly curable with early diagnosis and treatment. Patient education about protection from the sun is an important part of treatment. Patients with a history of basal or squamous cell carcinoma are at increased risk for new skin cancers as well as recurrences, and lifelong, regular, total cutaneous examinations are essential to detect potentially curable skin carcinomas and melanomas. The frequency of follow-up depends on the number and types of previous skin cancers, as well as other risk factors, but as a rule, examinations should be performed at least yearly. Such a surveillance strategy should decrease morbidity and mortality among patients with these dangerous neoplasms.