Skin Cancer

SKIN CANCER

Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers especially given that skin had the biggest surface area in the body. Skin cancer is so common that each year in the United States alone, more than 1 million people will be diagnosed with types of skin cancer that are collectively called non-melanoma skin cancer. As a result, these diseases are deemed as the most common types of cancer in humans.

It is a disease in which malignant cells are found in the outer layers of your skin. Some of the types of cancer that start in the skin are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, which are called non-melanoma skin cancer. In fact, Basal cell carcinoma accounts for almost a quarter of all cancers in the United States. However, Non-melanoma skin cancers are usually highly curable diseases if they are detected and treated early. It is the Melanoma cancer, the most serious form, which is diagnosed in about 59,000 people annually and was expected to cause 7,800 deaths during the past year. Skin cancer is the 3rd most common cancer in females and the 5th most common cancer in males that are all under 35 years old. Every year also, there are over 2,400 new melanoma cases in males and over 3,300 new cases in females. However, this too is highly curable with early detection and proper treatment.

All in all, Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers and is a disease in which malignant cells are found in one of the layers of the skin.

The symptoms usually develop on people with a family member who has had skin cancer. You are also more at risk if you have freckles, lots of moles, a pale skin that burns easily, and red or fair hair. Actually, one third of melanomas develop from existing moles. See your GP if your mole is suspiciously spreading or developing a ragged outline or when it is seeping, crusting or bleeding. Also be wary if your mole has different shades of brown and black, has a red inflamed ring around it or has an itchy or tender sensation.

However, beyond moles, the most common warning sign of skin cancer is a change on the skin. This is usually manifested in a new growth or a sore that doesn't heal. Skin cancers, however, do not all look the same for some may start as a small, smooth, shiny, pale or waxy lump. Some may also appear as a firm red lump and even sometimes, the lump bleeds or develops a crust. Otherwise, it can also start as a flat red spot that is rough, dry or scaly. Just take note that skin cancer can occur anywhere though basal and squamous cell cancers are found mainly on areas of the skin that are exposed to the sun such as the head, face, neck, hands and arms. If you see any suspicious spots, do not hesitate to have it reported to your doctor so he can look at your skin.

Though not all changes in your skin are cancer, still, you should see a doctor and the doctor will perform a biopsy. This involves a removal of all or part of growth so that the tissue can be examined under the microscope to determine if it is cancerous or not. Because skin cancer rarely spreads, then a biopsy often is the only test needed to determine the stage. When the growth is already very large or has been present for a long time, the doctor will carefully check the lymph nodes in the area and may have additional tests such as special x-rays, to find out whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

By knowing the stage of a skin cancer, the doctor can plan for the best treatment. If your doctor checked that you have skin cancer, then his or her main goal by that time is to remove or destroy the cancer completely with as small a scar as possible. The best treatment is decided considering the location and size of the cancer, the risk of scarring, and the person's age, general health, and medical history. Treatment for skin cancer usually involves some type of surgery like radiation therapy or chemotherapy or a combination of these methods is used.

In surgery, cancers can be cut from the skin, or they are sometimes completely removed at the time of biopsy so further treatment is needed. There is also what they call the Moh's Surgery, whose purpose is to remove all of the cancerous tissue and as little of the healthy tissue as possible. It is done after the patient receives a local anesthetic. By this time, the cancer is shaved off one thin layer at a time and each layer is checked under a microscope until the entire tumor is removed.

The degree of scarring depends on the location and size of the treated area. Only doctors who are specially trained in this type of surgery should use this method. There is also a case when extreme cold may be used to treat pre-cancerous skin conditions as well as certain small skin cancers. In cases like this, cryosurgery will apply liquid nitrogen to the growth to freeze and kill the abnormal cells. After the area thaws, the dead tissue falls off and a white scar may form in the treated area. For those who dislike scars, Grafting is used especially when a large cancer is removed. IN this procedure, a skin graft is needed to close the wound and reduce the amount of scarring. The doctor would then take a piece of healthy skin from another part of the body to replace the skin that was removed.

After the surgery, even though most skin cancers are cured, people treated still have a higher risk of developing a new cancer of the skin. You must examine yourself regularly to reduce your risk of developing skin cancer.

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