Being able to detect skin cancer in “Stage I” means there is an expectation of living as long as it is treated. Kristi Staats never thought she’d experience it firsthand.
According to Good Morning America, the woman made an appointment with a dermatologist two years ago to have a distinct spot on her cheek. Staats thought it was a spot or injury caused by the sun’s rays.
However, her spot on her cheek turned out to be a benign skin cancer, her primary dermatologist revealed. Alexander Vitkovsky MD, Ph.D., assistant professor of dermatology at Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine.
Witkowski first examined the defect with a dermatoscope, but there was another that caught his eye, measuring just 0.025 inches. It was about the size of the tip of a needle and had a slightly different pigment than a normal mole.
His suspicions were true and eventually a joint team from Oregon Health and Science University confirmed that it was a rare and “youngest skin cancer” in the history of medicine.
Melanoma y guinness world records
After confirming that Staats’ mole was a melanoma, Witkowski proceeded to remove it before it could spread. Last week, Guinness World Records recognized the doctor and his team of researchers for discovering the smallest known skin cancer spot.
“We want to share this knowledge with the next generation because this area of healthcare is starting to change, I think in a good way,” Witkowski, 36, told The Washington Post.
Cancerous mole
Witkowski notes that some cancerous moles less than 5 millimeters in diameter often go undetected. They also said they usually see lesions that are about a millimeter in size, but Staats’ mole was barely noticeable.
“You might think I’m crazy, but I think this is the smallest skin cancer we’ve seen to date,” he told Staats upon finding the shiny, reflective cancer cells on the supposed “mole.”
