Sen. Reid has skin growths removed by dermatologist

WASHINGTON — Sen. Harry Reid was sporting three small scars on his face this week after a visit to the dermatologist.

The Nevada Democrat had precancerous growths removed — two at his hairline and one on his right temple — leaving marks the size of mosquito bites that he said were expected to heal.

“Being fair skinned and raised in the desert,” Reid said exposure to the sun causes him actinic keratosis, a condition of small crusty skin patches.

Reid, 67, said his skin patches “are not cancerous,” and they were removed through a liquid nitrogen treatment that “just burned them off.” They were not biopsied, he added.

Actinic keratosis, also known as solar keratosis,” is “by far the most common precancer,” according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. “Treated early, almost all actinic keratoses can be eliminated before becoming skin cancer.”

Untreated, they could develop into squamous cell carcinoma, according to the foundation’s Web site.

“Some studies show that 10 percent do advance, while 40-60 percent of squamous cell carcinomas begin as untreated actinic keratoses,” according to the group.

Reid has had similar growths removed in the past, spokesman Jon Summers said.

“You spend time in the sun, sometimes you get things like that and you remove them to be safe,” Summers said.