If you have listened to the news lately you have heard all about the signs of skin cancer and how important early detection is. And yet, many people are still unable to tell what the signs of skin cancer are. They are missing the chance to detect it early when it is still easy to treat and the chances of survival are higher. Here are a few things that you should look for in some of the more common cancers.
Even people who do not know a lot about skin cancer have probably heard about malignant melanoma. This is because skin doctors stress the importance of identifying these fast spreading, deadly tumors. They are called melanomas because they start in moles and areas where melanin, the pigment factor in skin, is present. People with more melanin in their skin often have more of a protection against these tumors but it is no reason to go without sun screen if you will be outside.
If you want an easy way to detect melanomas, you should remember the "ABC's" of skin cancer detection. You want to check the Appearance of a mole. You want to look at its Borders. And, lastly, the Color of that mole can be a key to whether or not it is malignant. A benign mole will not look different in a short period of time. It will have regular, even borders and be a normal brown color. Anything that is raised, fast growing, uneven or oddly colored should be assessed by a doctor as soon as possible. This makes your chances of survival much more likely.
The next form of skin cancer is basal cell carcinoma. These cancers do not start out life as a mole. Instead, they start off looking like several different things. They can look like a sore which will not heal, a small firm lump, or even a scar or reddish patch of skin. It is important to get any strange scars or marks on the skin checked out since it can mean that you are developing a basal cell carcinoma. They are serious but they rarely spread to other organs. Remember that even if the cancer is not spreading to other organs or systems it is still growing and if they are causing open weeping sores, you will not find them very attractive to look at.
The third type of tumor that everyone should know about is squamous cell carcinoma. Like basal cell carcinomas these do not spread as fast or as commonly as melanomas. They also can be difficult to identify because they look like a number of different skin conditions such as scars or raised lumps. Like basal cell carcinomas they also do not tend to spread as much as melanomas although they can still metastasize.
You can expect that if you visit your doctor with a suspected skin cancer, they will inspect the area and test to make sure that it is not cancerous. This usually means taking a sample of the tissue to biopsy it. Once the test results have come back, treatment will begin. The kind of treatment can vary between people and cancers so you can see why an accurate and early diagnosis is as important as possible.
The effectiveness of skin cancer treatment is much better when you begin treatment shortly after a skin cancer has started to grow. Unfortunately many people do not regularly perform self examinations at home and do not get any areas they are concerned about checked out. Because early treatment can be the key to getting rid of the tumor completely, it is critical that you get in to see your doctor so that they can check you over as well. - 26706
Even people who do not know a lot about skin cancer have probably heard about malignant melanoma. This is because skin doctors stress the importance of identifying these fast spreading, deadly tumors. They are called melanomas because they start in moles and areas where melanin, the pigment factor in skin, is present. People with more melanin in their skin often have more of a protection against these tumors but it is no reason to go without sun screen if you will be outside.
If you want an easy way to detect melanomas, you should remember the "ABC's" of skin cancer detection. You want to check the Appearance of a mole. You want to look at its Borders. And, lastly, the Color of that mole can be a key to whether or not it is malignant. A benign mole will not look different in a short period of time. It will have regular, even borders and be a normal brown color. Anything that is raised, fast growing, uneven or oddly colored should be assessed by a doctor as soon as possible. This makes your chances of survival much more likely.
The next form of skin cancer is basal cell carcinoma. These cancers do not start out life as a mole. Instead, they start off looking like several different things. They can look like a sore which will not heal, a small firm lump, or even a scar or reddish patch of skin. It is important to get any strange scars or marks on the skin checked out since it can mean that you are developing a basal cell carcinoma. They are serious but they rarely spread to other organs. Remember that even if the cancer is not spreading to other organs or systems it is still growing and if they are causing open weeping sores, you will not find them very attractive to look at.
The third type of tumor that everyone should know about is squamous cell carcinoma. Like basal cell carcinomas these do not spread as fast or as commonly as melanomas. They also can be difficult to identify because they look like a number of different skin conditions such as scars or raised lumps. Like basal cell carcinomas they also do not tend to spread as much as melanomas although they can still metastasize.
You can expect that if you visit your doctor with a suspected skin cancer, they will inspect the area and test to make sure that it is not cancerous. This usually means taking a sample of the tissue to biopsy it. Once the test results have come back, treatment will begin. The kind of treatment can vary between people and cancers so you can see why an accurate and early diagnosis is as important as possible.
The effectiveness of skin cancer treatment is much better when you begin treatment shortly after a skin cancer has started to grow. Unfortunately many people do not regularly perform self examinations at home and do not get any areas they are concerned about checked out. Because early treatment can be the key to getting rid of the tumor completely, it is critical that you get in to see your doctor so that they can check you over as well. - 26706
About the Author:
Even just a Mole can be a Early Signs of Skin Cancer If you have doubt any of these five signs of skin cancer please consult your physician immediately.
