At which parts of the body can white skin cancer occur?

White skin cancer can theoretically develop anywhere on the skin. The most common body areas where white skin cancer occurs are listed below. The nose is a particularly common location for white skin cancer.

It protrudes from the face and accumulates an above-average amount of sunlight over the course of a lifetime. Even when the face is covered, for example when skiing, the nose is often uncovered and exposed to the sun. However, white skin cancer is quickly recognized by the nose.

Here, both detection and treatment can often be carried out in the early stages. Although surgery with removal of the tumor is also the therapy of first choice here, photodynamic therapy can also be considered as the first treatment for certain reasons, for example if several operations have already had to be performed on the nose after recurrences or if the affected area is too large. This topic might also be of interest to you: Basal cell carcinoma of the noseThe face as a whole is home to most cases of white skin cancer.

In the face itself, the nose and lips are most frequently affected. This is also due to the theory of the development of white skin cancer. These areas collect most of the sun’s radiation over the course of a lifetime.

Exposed areas of the face such as the lips, cheeks, nose or forehead are therefore so-called “predilection sites”. Cases of white skin cancer on the scalp are generally less frequent but possible. Here, too, exposure to the sun is the only factor that counts to a large extent.

In people without scalp hair, the probability of cancer on the scalp is therefore not only increased, but also significantly more likely than in other parts of the body. For this reason, protection against UV light on the scalp is all the more important in the case of a bald head. White skin cancer on the lip is not only very unpleasant, but also very common.

In contrast to other skin areas, the lip is not able to form melanin, i.e. skin pigments. The lip is therefore also frequently affected by sunburn. Even after long exposure to the sun, the lip is unable to adapt to the conditions and tan like the rest of the skin.

Sunscreen must always be applied to protect the lips. Nowadays there are also lip balms and lip care sticks available that contain sun protection. However, white skin cancer can be detected early.

Due to the sensitive receptors in the lip, nodular, hard and coarse changes are particularly noticeable very quickly and disturb at an early stage. The forehead, as an exposed, large-area skin area, is one of the typical “predilection sites” for white skin cancer. About 80% of all cases of cancer occur between the forehead and the lip.An important sun protection is essential in case of sun exposure.

The ears are relatively often affected by white skin cancer. Although they have an exposed position on the head, in many people they are covered by hair. With long hair and good and constant sun protection, the probability of white skin cancer of the ears decreases.

Protruding ears can also be a risk factor for cancer. The back of the hand is also often affected by the cancer. The hands are rarely covered by clothing.

The back of the hand is also often forgotten when applying a protective sunscreen, although it is exposed to the sun continuously. White skin cancer is often detected early on the back of the hand and treatment can also be carried out well at this point. The back is much less frequently affected by white skin cancer than regions such as the décolleté or the area of the head.

The skin on the back represents a very large area and can accumulate a lot of sunlight under suitable conditions. Cases of white breast cancer are much more likely to occur, especially in warm regions where men and women frequently spend time in the sun with their upper bodies uncovered. This can affect people who frequently go to the beach as well as workers who work in the sun without their upper bodies.

Adequate sun protection through sunscreen is extremely important. Many people do not adhere to this, because it seems too costly or difficult to apply sunscreen to the back. Even if no sunburn occurs with pre-tanned skin, one must always think about the long-term accumulation of sunlight.