All You Should Know About Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. It is estimated that over 1 million new cases occur annually. Actually there are three types of skin cancers; basal cell cancer, squamous cell cancer, and melanoma. However, melanoma is less common compared with basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer.

Melanoma is skin cancer that forms in melanocytes (skin cells that make pigment), while basal cell cancer forms in basal cells (small, round cells in the base of the outer layer of skin). Meanwhile, squamous cell cancer forms in squamous cells (flat cells that form the surface of the skin). Among those three types, melanoma is the most dangerous skin cancer.

What is actually skin cancer? It is a disease in which cancer (malignant) cells are found in the outer layers of your skin. This disease commonly happens in people with light colored skin who have spent a lot of time in the sunlight. Yes, it is indeed that skin cancer can occur everywhere on your body, but it often occurs in your face, neck, hands, and arms as places that have been exposed to more sunlight.

The most common warning sign of this disease is a change in the appearance of the skin, such as a new growth or a sore that will not heal. Even though eliminating the possibility of getting this disease is impossible, the risk of developing this cancer can be reduced by avoiding the use of tobacco products and reducing sun exposure especially from 9 AM to 4PM. When you outdoors, you should also wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen and protective clothing to block the radiation of UVA and UVB.

For prevention, you should have your doctor check any suspicious skin markings and any changes in the way your skin looks. If this disease is found early, your doctor can give you a treatment that is very helpful for you to avoid the spread of skin cancer cells to other tissues and organs.