Doctors in the United States made a very interesting discovery. The world’s smallest skin cancer was found in Portland, Oregon’s largest city. The cancerous area was detected on a woman’s cheek.
After a thorough examination, the team of dermatologists from Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) realized that the small spot on the cheek was actually a melanoma. The discovery made it into the Guinness World Records as the “smallest skin cancer detected”.
The size of the spot where the skin cancer is located is only 0.65 millimeters
The size of the cancerous part is only 0.65 millimeters. For this reason, it is stated that it is very difficult to see with the naked eye. Confirming that something this small was a micro skin cancer was, as you can imagine, extremely difficult for researchers.
Doctors at OHSU used a technique called “dermoscopy,” which is used to examine lesions, which are areas of abnormal appearance. Added to this is a method called Reflectance Confocal Microscopy, which allows the diagnosis and examination of lesions without cutting the patient’s skin.
As a result of the use of two state-of-the-art techniques, cancer could be detected at a very early stage. Researcher Alexander Witowski also stated that the cancer was discovered before it had a chance to spread to other parts of the body.
The woman named Christy Staats, whose cancer was detected, had this spot under her eye for several years. During this time he saw several doctors; but many sent it back as a harmless blemish on the skin. Staats also consulted dermatologists at OHSU when she saw the spot grow in times of COVID. As a result of the examination, it was revealed that he had a very small skin cancer. The researchers published their findings on Dermatology Practical & Conceptual.
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