Skin Cancer

Skin cancer involves the abnormal growth of skin cells. There are many types of skin cancer, some of which metastasize and some of which do not metastasize. This means that there are dangerous kinds of skin cancer and those that are much less dangerous.

The cause of skin cancer is mostly sun exposure although there can be hereditary causes of skin cancer and skin cancer unrelated to sun exposure. The most common type of skin cancer is basal cell cancer which never metastasizes. Melanoma is much more rare than other types of skin cancer but because it metastasizes readily, it does is considered highly dangerous.

Basal cell cancer comes from abnormal growth of the lower layers of the epidermis. It forms dome-shaped, pearly lesions that can be removed through surgery alone. It is most common on the face. Squamous cell carcinoma involves abnormal growth of the middle layer of the skin or the squamous cells. It forms scaly lesions that can metastasize of left untreated long enough. It is most common on the face and on the arms and hands. Malignant melanoma involves cancer of the pigment cells or melanocytes of the skin. It is one of the more dangerous types of skin cancer and the most dangerous of the three main types of cancer. It metastasizes readily and leads to death if not picked up quickly.

Other unusual types of skin cancer are of the nonmelanoma variety and include Kaposi Sarcoma, cutaneous lymphoma and Merkel cell cancer.

Skin cancer happens to be the most common cancer in the US. Risk factors for skin cancer include having light skin, fair hair and light eyes. Family history of skin cancer, especially melanoma, means you might have an increased risk of having melanoma. The nonmelanoma types of skin cancer are more common in those past the age of 40. Sun exposure and sunburn put a person at risk of all types of skin cancer. In fact, UV radiation is considered the primary reason behind getting any type of skin cancer. Skin cancer can form at any age, especially melanoma, so even teens and children need to be evaluated if they have any suspicious symptoms.

Symptoms of skin cancer depend on the type of cancer you have. You can have waxy, scaly, shiny, rough, firm and red crusting lesions, depending on the type of cancer. If it suspicious-looking, you should seek medical advice and possibly have a biopsy. This is especially true if it is a pigmented lesion. Pay special attention to an asymmetric lesion, a lesion with irregular borders, a lesion with variegated colors and a lesion bigger than the size of an eraser on the end of a pencil. If you have a growth that does not heal or frequently bleeds, seek medical attention. To be on the safe side, you need to use a mirror to look at lesions on the backs of your legs, arms and on your back.

The treatment of skin cancer depends on the type of cancer you have. Surgical excision or even freezing or burning of the lesion is okay for basal cell and squamous cell cancers. You rarely need any further treatment once you are sure the lesion is gone. No radiation or chemotherapy is required. For melanoma lesions, however, you need to have a wide excision that definitely removes every cancerous cell. This involves surgery under local or general anesthesia. If there is evidence of lymph node involvement or metastatic disease, then radiation or chemotherapy are required to try and kill off the cancer cells.

The prognosis of skin cancer is excellent for squamous cell and basal cell cancer. Many people die, however, from metastatic malignant melanoma. If you reach remission from the disease, you have an 89 percent survival rate after five years.

Prevention of skin cancer involves minimizing the exposure to the skin. This means wearing protective clothing, including long sleeved shirts, pants and a hat. Avoid sun exposure between 10am and 4pm. Use SPF 30 on sun exposed areas at least a half hour before sun exposure. Reapply the sunscreen often. Just because it is winter doesn't mean you shouldn't put on sunscreen, especially on your face.