There are five different kinds of skin cancer. All of them are dangerous though some are to be worried about more than others. The most common type of skin cancer is Basal cell carcinoma with over a million Americans developing this cancer each year. Seventy five percent of all skin cancers treated are of this variety. This type of skin cancer is believed by physicians to be caused by a person spending too much time in the sun. Which is why this type of skin cancers tends to be found ion the more common places on the body that has sun exposure. This includes the face, scalp, and upper torso. Although they have more than one form basal cell carcinoma often begins like a shiny bump. It takes the form of a sore that does not heal or that heals and then becomes unhealthy looking once again. These are slow growing; rarely spreading to other parts of the body but still must be attended to quickly.
At least two hundred thousand Americans yearly are treated for Squamous cell carcinoma, this is the second most common and accounts for twenty percent of the cases of skin cancer. This one is also blamed on too much sun but is more common among middle aged and the elderly. They first appear as a crusty spot, but one with that appears reddened and irritated looking and does look very much like a small growth or boil. If you notice something that looks like this go immediately to your health care provider as Squamous cell carcinoma can spread to other parts of your body.
The next in line is the most dangerous of the skin cancers. That one is Melanoma and it affects four percent of those who are treated for skin cancers. It is considered the most dangerous because it is the most lethal. Although if found early the cure rate is a stunning ninety five percent effective. But once it begins its spread there is very little hope. So if you see changes to a mole or a new mole, especially if you are over thirty, see your health care provider immediately.
The remaining one percent if divided between Paget’s disease and Kaposi’s sarcoma. Paget’s occurs because of cancers in the sweat glands of the intestines, genitals or urinary tract and so the cancer shows up in the genital area or around the anus. It can also come out around the nipples because of cancer of the milk ducts though both men and women can have this problem. The sores look a like normal patchy skin, rashes, and can be very itchy or even painful. A biopsy is usually needed to determine if its just a skin condition or its Paget’s. Kaposi’s sarcoma is an AIDS related skin cancer related to herpes.
Learn self-examination, its a way to protect yourself that is easy and costs you nothing more than a few minutes of your time once every few months. Aren’t you worth it?
When we think of skin cancer we may not always realize that there are 3 different types of skin cancer. What most people think of as skin cancer is in fact malignant melanoma where the moles on your skin changes.
Basal cell carcinoma or also called a rodent ulcer, is probably one of the most common types of all types of skin cancer. It appears in the basal cell layer strangely enough and it is the inner most layer of the outer skin (the epidermis if you care to know). Basal cell carcinoma skin cancer is a slow growing form of cancer and it looks like a raised edged swelling with a dimple in the center and you can often see small blood vessels under the skin.
This type of skin cancer appears mainly in the areas most exposed to sun light, like the nose and around the eyes. It hardly ever spreads around the body although if it is ignored it is possible. The main consequence of a neglected “bcc” or rodent ulcer is that it can cause a lot of tissue damage as it burrows deep into the tissues, hence why it has been called rodent ulcer.
As stated, Basal cell cancer is the most common type of skin cancer to affect people. Like all skin cancers it mainly affects people with pale or fair Caucasian skin. It is also likely or probable that new patients who develop this form of skin cancer have a family history of rodent ulcer or BCC. It has been found that sunlight is a huge factor in about two thirds of these types of cancer; however the remaining third usually occurs in non sun-exposed areas. This is why dermatologists are so insistent about people wearing sun screens and getting annual skin cancer exams to prevent or provide early detection of this common tumor. (Especially in those countries which are very hot).
If you have been diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma then it is most likely that it will be treated by a surgeon operating on you to remove the tumor. Usually they will perform a routine that effectively just scrapes out the tumor and then leave the wound to heal itself. This treatment of rodent ulcers as it is also known has an excellent cure rate and the cosmetic results are equally impressive with very little scarring, and made even more attractive as it is a very cost effective procedure, which is important to your health care provider no doubt.
If you get skin cancer then this type of skin cancer is by far the easiest one to cope with as it only really grows locally and with detection happening early enough the cosmetic consequences are minimal. The cancer never stops growing however until it is removed completely so if it is in a place where it can impinge on vital structures and cause them to stop working it is very rarely deadly.
Proper care and consideration for your skin is still essential in order to avoid the cancer in the first place so common anti skin cancer advice still applies like use sunscreen, cover up exposed ares during the mid day sun and stay out of the sun when ever possible. It is especially important for children and babies to stay out of direct sunlight as they have thinner skin.
Even during winter it is important if you live in a snowy area as snow doubles your exposure to UV rays.
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