skin cancer

In some people’s view the skin cancer considered as a negligible health concern. To some extent, it might be true.

image by Elemental Osmium

But it is a common disease today, in North America. People are even dying there every hour of the day, due to this life breaking skin cancer.

Require Consideration:

Skin Cancer is easily curable if it diagnosed at an early stage, and the patient can be prevented with it. And it is applicable to most of the types of the skin cancer. Incase of detecting it at early stage, the non-melanoma skin cancers – basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma can be purify in most of the case studies. This is one of the most common type of skin cancer, so you can easily overcome to this devastating disease if being careful and conscious with its occurrence / symptoms.

So, what is a skin cancer?

It happens when malignant cells are developed in the upper layers of the skin, especially on the areas which are directly exposed to sunlight, such as, face, hands arms and neck.

So what are the major causes of Skin Cancer?

• Non-natural exposure of ultra violet radiation (tanning booths and sunlamps)
• Red or blond hair people having fair skin.
• Depends how much time you stay in the sun? Regular routine for a complete year, will increase the chances for your skin to get damaged.
• Large quantity of moles or freckles
• If there are notable records of skin cancer having in the family.
• Exposing more to sunlight than necessary, results in sun-burning. Most of the people get 25% of sun exposure by the age of just 18.

Now, here is important part, how to prevent yourself from experiencing a skin cancer?

• Keep a regular check of moles every few months for changes in form and sensitivity.
• When there is a hot sunny day even in winters, use a SPF-15 or higher sunscreen.
• If you find yourself affected by the skin cancer, consult immediately a doctor or a dermatologist.
• Keep your skin covered from sun, wear sunglasses and hat.

And now, what is the treatment?

It depends on the time when it is diagnosed or came to knowledge by the occurrence of the symptoms, at that time it will analyzed that how much it has already effected the skin or how deep it has spread. The doctor will first see which type of skin cancer it is, then the size and the location of the tumor. Usually, it is cured by a surgery, however, chemotherapy, radiation therapy or immunotherapy (specifically targets the tumor) treatments are also available now for those patients who do not require to have a surgery.

image by by Sids1

What are the common types of skin cancer?

Basal cell carcinoma

• Most frequent type of skin cancer
• Lesions are normally seen on the head or neck in people who are 40 years of age or older.
• Basal cell carcinomas emerge as a tiny pearl-coloured bump, which will increase in size and may lose blood easily.
• Basal cell carcinoma is hardly ever cause death.

Squamous cell carcinoma

• Happened to people over 50 years of age or older on the skin damaged by sun.
• It may occurred from actinic keratosis, visible as a red, flaking, embossed patch
• Growths appear as plane and red, becomes scaly-embossed mass.
• Squamous cell carcinoma is the form of non-melanoma cancer that can extend and stems by tumors on the lip, ear or in the location of immune suppression (for example renal transplant patients)
• Cure to treat this type of skin cancer is generally surgery or at occasion radiation therapy

Melanoma

• Danger increases with the age factor. The average age of finding is flanked by 45-50 years old.
• Frequently emerge on the back of men and the legs of women
• Appears as a dark flat or embossed area on your skin, producing multiple colours with shades of brown, black and even white.
• Is often uneven in shape, but has precise borders.
• Can stretch (metastasize) to other areas of the body by the lymph system or the blood.

The skin cancer disease is sometimes runs through the family tree, from older generations to upcoming, but it is quite rare and found only in few family structures. It is usually happens when the effected person is highly sensitive to sunlight and still got more exposure.

This type of person can be caught easily to a skin cancer type if not keeping any precautions. Such people inherit the normal skin type and resulting skin cancer in form of freckles and pale skin. Especially if you have a close relation, with the effected skin cancer patient, like brother, sister, or in parents then it naturally doubles up the risk for you to get caught in same type of skin cancer.

If you find yourself at risk, consult your family doctor or a specialized dermatologist at your earliest and it is often advised not to neglect it.