It is the most common form of cancer that develops when there is an irregular growth of skin cells. Understanding different types of cancers and how they affect the body is the best way to understand skin cancer.
Mostly Skin cancer develops on skin exposed to the sun. However, it can also develop on the areas of the skin not ordinarily exposed to sunlight. Skin cancer is divided into three major parts; basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma.
Skin cancers are not all identical and they may not show any initial symptoms. Still, unusual changes to your skin can be a warning sign for the different types of skin cancer.
Being alert to your skin changes may help you get a diagnosis earlier. You can look for the following signs and symptoms:
- Skin lesions: A new mole or an unusual growth, bump, sore, scaly patch or dark spot that doesn’t disappear.
- Asymmetry: The two halves of a mole or lesion are not identical
- Border: Lesion has ragged and uneven edges
- Colour: A spot has an unusual colour, such as black, blue, red or white. It can also have more than one colour.
- Diameter: The size is about the size of a pencil eraser or larger than 1/4 inch
- Evolving: The mole changes in shape, size, colour or the symptoms like pain, bleeding or itching.
Skin cancer develops when mutations develop in the DNA of your skin cells. These mutations cause skin cells to grow uncontrollably and form a mass of cancer cells.
Many of the causes of skin cancer are not clear. Also, most moles don’t turn into melanomas, and researchers are not sure why some do.
However, certain factors may make you more likely to develop skin cancers, like melanoma. This includes the following:
- Exposure to UV light
- Moles
- Light skin, light hair, and freckling
- Family history of skin cancer
- History of skin cancer
- Weakened immune system
- Older age
The treatment for skin cancer is determined by several factors, such as:
- Size of Cancer
- Type of Cancer
- Location of Cancer
- Stage of Cancer
After considering these factors, the doctor recommends one or more of the following treatments:
- Cryosurgery
- Excisional surgery
- Mohs surgery
- Curettage and electrodesiccation
- Chemotherapy
- Photodynamic therapy
- Radiation
- Biological therapy
- Immunotherapy
