A guide to skin cancer of the face for the dental team

Abstract

The incidence of skin cancer in the United Kingdom is increasing and is associated with an ageing population and increasing lifetime exposure to sunlight. The three most common types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma, all three of which may present on the skin of the face. The dental team are, therefore, well-placed to recognize suspicious lesions and arrange for further advice or assessment. This paper outlines the epidemiology, important clinical features and principles of modern management of facial skin cancers to aid dental practitioners in the recognition of suspicious lesions. In addition, some of these treatments have side-effects which have the potential to affect a patient's oral health or its management and these aspects are also discussed.

Clinical relevance: The dental surgeon is ideally placed to recognize malignant or potentially malignant lesions on patients'faces and to advise on seeking further advice or refer for assessment, as appropriate. Dental practitioners will increasingly encounter patients who have undergone surgical or non-surgical management of facial skin cancer and should understand the potential oro-facial side-effects of such treatment.