Skin cancer risks question,..I am confused

[HeartsOpenWide]

I am taking a practice NCLEX exam and one of the question is who is at greatest risk for developing skin cancer. The options are

a superficial scar tissue

seborrheic keratoses

numerous facial freckles

flesh-colored papules

I went with numerous facial factors thinking of people with fair skin and their increased risk for skin cancer. But the answer is a superficial scare tissue...hu? I did not know scar tissue can cause cancer...??

[AliasMunky]

Hahah, someone is a senior in the University of Tampa nursing program as this question is bugging me too and seems very misleading.

I just googled this question and this very thread came up ha.

ATI [advanced testing institute] is our NCLEX prep program and some of these questions can really be misleading.

I just retook the practice test and the correct answer is: 'A) Superficial Scar Tissue'

Perhaps the rationale is that there has been trauma to that part of the skin which makes it more susceptible to cancer.

I'll be taking the actual test at noon, so we'll see.

Good luck studying...

[OpusNurse]

I used to work for a surgeon who specialized in Skin cancers. In prioritizing a referal, seborrheic keratoses would take priority over any of those others, so that's what I would have said. Although of those four, scar tissue would be next. The reason seborrheic keratoses would be a higher priority is because it is also often caused by sun damage, and people with sun damage are higher risk for skin cancers.

Scar tissue was rarely a concern for skin cancer, unless overexposed to sun like any other part of the skin. Scar tissue is more susceptible to changes in the first year, which is why we always advised our surgical pts..keep your surgical site out of the sun...

[Jolie, BSN]

I used to work for a surgeon who specialized in Skin cancers. In prioritizing a referal, seborrheic keratoses would take priority over any of those others, so that's what I would have said. Although of those four, scar tissue would be next. The reason seborrheic keratoses would be a higher priority is because it is also often caused by sun damage, and people with sun damage are higher risk for skin cancers.

Scar tissue was rarely a concern for skin cancer, unless overexposed to sun like any other part of the skin. Scar tissue is more susceptible to changes in the first year, which is why we always advised our surgical pts..keep your surgical site out of the sun...

I believe you may mean actinic keratosis, not seborrheic. Actinic keratosis is caused by sun damage and is considered a pre-cancerous skin change. Seborheic keratisis, while ugly, is benign, and not considered dangerous.

Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

Seborrheic keratosis is one of the most common types of noncancerous (benign) skin growths in older adults. In fact, most people develop at least one seborrheic keratosis at some point in their lives.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/seborrheic-keratosis/DS00846

As for the scar tissue risk factor for skin cancer: Scar tissue is more "delicate" than surrounding skin, and lacks pigmentation, which places it at greater risk for sun damage and hence skin cancer. But most people have very little scar tissue on sun exposed surfaces of their bodies, and therefore little increased risk of skin cancer beause of scarring.

People with many freckles typically have fair skin, which is highly susceptible to sun damage every time it is exposed. Because this applies to the entire sun-exposed surface of the body, the risk of skin cancer in an individual with numerous freckles is much greater than the risk of an individual with a scar.

[OpusNurse]

I stand corrected, but still don't think that scar tissue is the answer to this question.

[Jolie, BSN]

I stand corrected, but still don't think that scar tissue is the answer to this question.

Oh, I agree!

I wonder if the OP questioned this to the publisher.