Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer. It is caused due to excessive exposure to UV rays from either natural or artificial sources. The most common types of skin cancer include basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Apart from these three main types, there are many other types as well, which can affect the body in different ways.
What is skin cancer?
Skin cancer is a disease in which skin cells grow out of control. Skin cancers start in the epidermis, the outermost layer of skin, but can spread to other parts of the body.
Skin cancers are diagnosed by examining the skin for signs and symptoms.
What are the risk factors for skin cancer?
- People who are at a higher risk for skin cancer include:
- Those with fair skin that freckles or burns easily
- Those with a history of blistering sunburns as children
- Those who work outdoors or spend time in the sun for leisure activities
- Those who use tanning beds
- People with certain inherited disorders
- Skin cancers are more common in people older than 60.
- Ultraviolet radiation exposure, which can come from the sun or tanning beds.
- A personal history of other types of skin cancer.
- Diabetes, actinic keratosis, and xeroderma pigmentosum — a rare genetic condition that makes your skin more sensitive to ultraviolet radiation from the sun or tanning beds.
Types of Skin Cancer
The three main types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma.
Basal cell carcinoma accounts for about two-thirds of all skin cancers. Basal cell carcinoma usually appears as a pearly cyst or shiny bump on the skin that’s pink or flesh colored. It often looks like an inflamed hair follicle, and it may bleed if injured.
Melanoma: Melanoma is a potentially deadly form of skin cancer that begins in malignant melanocytes (a type of cell). About 70% of melanomas are black or brown, but they can also be red, blue or any other color. They usually appear on areas exposed to the sun, such as your face, ears, neck and back of hands.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a common type of non-melanoma skin cancer. These tumors develop from the top layer of skin cells called squamous cells. SCCs often appear as scaly patches or growths on sun-exposed areas such as your face, ears and neck.
Skin cancer signs and symptoms
A change in an existing mole, wart or other skin growth. When a mole becomes raised, itchy or bleeds for no apparent reason, it may be a sign of melanoma or another type of skin cancer. If a growth changes color (from black to brown or tan) or gets larger than 6 millimeters across — about the size of a pencil eraser — see your doctor immediately.
New growths on your face, scalp or ears. New bumps under 5 millimeters across are unlikely to be dangerous but should be checked out by a dermatologist, such as Green Square Dermatology, because they can develop into more serious problems over time.
Kinds of Treatment
Skin cancer treatment can be divided into two main categories: surgical and non-surgical. Surgery involves removing the cancerous growth, while radiation therapy is used to kill cancer cells or prevent them from growing.
Chemotherapy is one of the frequent and very successful treatments that kill cancer cells.
Skin grafting involves replacing lost skin with healthy tissue taken from another part of your body or donated by someone else; it’s usually done after surgery has been performed on a patient with basal cell carcinoma who has suffered significant scarring due to their condition. Another option for treating basal cell carcinoma is resurfacing (also known as dermabrasion), which removes damaged layers off your face so new ones can grow back more quickly than normal-and hopefully without developing any further problems down the road!
Early Detection Tips
The best way to detect skin cancer is by seeing a doctor. While self-diagnosis can be helpful in some cases, it’s important to remember that if you have any suspicious skin lesions, it’s better to get them checked out by a professional than risk having the condition worsen or spread without knowing about it.
The following tips will help you stay safe from skin cancer:
- Don’t ignore any suspicious lesion on your body. If something looks like it might be a basal cell carcinoma (BCC) or melanoma-even if it doesn’t hurt-see a dermatologist immediately!
- Avoid tanning beds and tanning lotions as much as possible. These products increase your risk for developing skin cancer because they expose the body’s cells directly to UV rays instead of filtering them through clouds or water vapor like natural sunlight does; this means more damage done per minute spent under artificial lights than would happen outdoors at midday during summertime months when UV levels are highest!
Sun Protection Tips
The best way to protect your skin is to avoid the sun altogether. But if you can’t do that, here are some tips:
- Wear sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher every day.
- Wear a wide-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses when outside.
- Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when ultraviolet rays are strongest and most likely to cause damage–and especially if you’re going to be in direct sunlight for more than 10 minutes at a time (or if there’s no shade). If possible, try to schedule outdoor activities during cooler parts of the day: early morning or late afternoon/early evening hours when there’s less UV exposure from direct sunlight. Also try not to spend too much time outdoors on days that are overcast due to high humidity levels; this can increase water droplets in the air which reflect light back onto your skin causing additional damage from reflected rays!
Skin cancer is a serious condition that can be fatal if it’s not diagnosed and treated in time. It is important to know the symptoms of skin cancer, as well as how to prevent it from happening.