Skin Cancer – Early Detection and Treatment
Skin cancer is the most common kind of cancer, surpassing in frequency lung cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer. Although it is the most common form of cancer, it is less frequently fatal than those and many other cancers, because the tumors it produces tend to be visible. This often leads to the cancer being spotted in the early stages before it can metastasize. If it goes ignored, however, skin cancer can be deadly.
There are many different types of skin cancer, some of them more dangerous than others. The three most common types are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type and tends to appear in sun-exposed areas of the body, like the face. It is the kind least likely to metastasize and rarely causes death. Basal cell carcinoma can be effectively treated with surgery and radiation.
Skin Cancer – Early Detection and Treatment
Squamous cell carcinoma is less common than basal cell, although still fairly common compared to other cancers. It is more prone to metastasizing than basal cell carcinoma, but the rate is still very low. The risk is greater when it is located on the ear or lip, and in patients with weak immune systems. Generally squamous cell carcinoma is treatable through the same means as basal cell carcinoma.
The rarest of the three common types of skin cancer is melanoma. Melanoma tends to metastasize readily and is deadly once it has spread through the body. Because of its tendency to metastasize, early detection is of the utmost importance with melanoma. Early detection and treatment of melanoma can dramatically reduce the risk of it metastasizing and causing death.
Skin Cancer – Early Detection and Treatment
The most significant risk factor is overexposure to UV-radiation. This radiation causes mutations in skin cell DNA that can lead to the development of cancer later in life. Regular use of sunblock and products with an adequate sun protection factor (SPF) can dramatically reduce the risk of the development of cancerous cells in the long term.
There are also genetic risk factors. People who are prone to developing moles are at an elevated risk. A particular hereditary condition called Congenital Melanocytic Nevi Syndrome leads to the development of moles on the skin, first appearing within months of birth. These moles are prone to becoming cancerous, but the risk is greatest for moles over 3/4″ (or 20mm) in size. In addition, people who smoke are at a much higher risk for skin cancer than nonsmokers.
Skin Cancer – Early Detection and Treatment
