Living in Colorado Springs comes with plenty of reasons to love the outdoors. From hiking and biking to skiing, golfing, and enjoying more than 300 days of sunshine, spending time outside is part of life for many Coloradans. But that combination of sunshine and high elevation also means our skin gets more ultraviolet (UV) exposure than we may realize.
Those factors have become an important part of caring for patients at Vanguard Skin Specialists for Dr. Renata Prado. After more than a decade of treating patients in Colorado Springs and throughout Southern Colorado, she has seen just how common skin cancer can be and how important it is to recognize concerning changes early.
As a board-certified dermatologist and fellowship-trained Mohs micrographic surgeon who treats more than 1,000 skin cancers each year Dr. Prado wants patients to understand that a skin cancer diagnosis doesn’t have to be frightening. Knowing what to look for, protecting your skin, and getting regular total body skin exams (TBSEs) can make a significant difference.
What Colorado Springs Residents Should Know About Skin Cancer Risk
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. Colorado’s high elevation, abundant sunshine, and outdoor culture create additional concerns when it comes to UV exposure.
“Due to our altitude and climate, we have among the highest UV exposures of any state,” Dr. Prado explains.
For people who spend their days hiking, skiing, golfing, biking, or simply enjoying Colorado’s sunshine, that exposure can add up over time. That makes skin cancer prevention and early detection especially important for Colorado Springs residents.
What Are the Warning Signs of Skin Cancer?
The three most common types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and melanoma. Warning signs can vary, but a new or changing spot, a lesion that repeatedly bleeds or scabs, or an area that will not heal should be evaluated by a dermatology provider.
Basal cell carcinoma is by far the most common, accounting for approximately 80% of skin cancers. It can look like a shiny or pearly pink bump, a slightly scaly red or pink patch, or even an area that resembles a scar.
One of the most important warning signs is a spot that simply refuses to heal.
“Most importantly: if a lesion has been present for over one to two months and is not healing, it needs to be evaluated,” Dr. Prado says.
A spot that repeatedly scabs, heals, bleeds, and then scabs again should also be checked, even if it isn’t painful.
Squamous cell carcinoma can appear as a reddish, scaly patch, a rough or growing bump, or a rapidly developing lesion. Unlike many basal cell carcinomas, SCCs are often tender or painful. The ears and lips can also be higher-risk locations for aggressive SCC.
Then there is melanoma, a significantly more dangerous form of skin cancer because it is more likely to spread.
Melanoma often appears as a brown or black spot that changes in size, shape, or color. Remember the ABCDEs:
- A – Asymmetry: One half of the spot looks different from the other.
- B – Border irregularity: The border is irregular, poorly defined, or uneven.
- C – Color variation: The spot contains varying colors or shades.
- D – Diameter: Melanomas are often larger than 6 mm (around the size of a pencil eraser), although they can be smaller.
- E – Evolving: The spot is changing in size, shape, color, or appearance.
Any new or changing lesion deserves attention, particularly one that is growing, bleeding, scabbing, or changing in appearance.
What Does Skin Cancer Treatment Look Like?
A skin cancer treatment plan depends on several factors, including the type of cancer, its specific characteristics, location, and size.
Some early or superficial skin cancers can be treated with freezing, scraping and cauterization, or topical medications. In many cases, however, surgery is the preferred treatment.
That may include a standard surgical excision or Mohs micrographic surgery, a specialized form of skin cancer surgery in which cancerous tissue is removed and examined layer by layer. This approach allows the surgeon to remove the cancer while preserving as much healthy surrounding skin as possible.
More advanced cancers may require additional treatments such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or radiation.
The good news is that finding skin cancer early can make treatment much more straightforward.
Why Early Detection Matters
Finding skin cancer early can make treatment easier and, in the case of aggressive cancers such as melanoma, can be lifesaving.
“Early diagnosis can be lifesaving in the case of aggressive skin cancers such as melanoma or aggressive forms of SCC,” Dr. Prado says. “Early detection also means smaller cancer, easier treatment, and a smaller scar.”
Skin cancer has an important advantage compared with many other cancers: it usually begins somewhere you can see it.
That gives patients and dermatologists an opportunity to find it early. Regular skin cancer screenings and full-body skin checks with a board-certified dermatologist can help identify suspicious lesions before they become more serious.
Dr. Prado recommends paying attention to any new or changing spot, particularly one that is growing, bleeding, scabbing, becoming scaly, changing color, or failing to heal.
And don’t limit your attention to the areas that get the most sun. Skin cancer can develop anywhere, including the scalp, bottoms of the feet, underneath fingernails or toenails, inside the mouth, and on the lips.
Treating the Person, Not Just the Cancer
For Dr. Prado, patient-centered skin cancer treatment means looking beyond the tumor itself.
“Patient-centered skin cancer care is an approach to treatment that sees and treats the whole person, not just the tumor,” she explains.
Depending on the diagnosis, caring for a patient may involve dermatologists, plastic surgeons, oncologists, radiation oncologists, or general surgeons. When these specialists communicate and work together, treatment can be tailored to the patient’s medical needs as well as their individual priorities and concerns.
That philosophy has been shaped by more than a decade of treating patients throughout Colorado Springs and Southern Colorado. Learn more about Dr. Renata Prado’s background, her training as a fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon, and what drives her patient-first approach to skin cancer treatment.
Dr. Prado’s Message to Colorado Springs
For Colorado Springs residents, Dr. Prado’s message is simple: many skin cancers are highly treatable, and often curable, when caught early.
Protecting your skin from UV exposure, paying attention to changes, and scheduling regular skin checks are simple steps that can have a lasting impact.
“You can get skin cancer anywhere on your skin — from your scalp to the bottoms of your feet,” Dr. Prado says. “Having a regular full skin check is the easiest way to save a life.”
Paying attention to changes in your skin and keeping up with regular skin checks can make a meaningful difference in catching skin cancer early.
If you’re due for a skin check or have a spot you’re concerned about, schedule an appointment with Vanguard Skin Specialists today.
