We all know that we need to keep an eye on skin and be cautious with moles, freckles or spots. But what exactly are we looking for?
While nothing will replace the expertise of your doctor and you should always get any new growth checked out, there are some signs that may indicate it is melanoma skin cancer. Doctors often use an ABCDE scale:
1) Asymmetrical: a spot is more likely to be melanoma if it is asymmetrical. Most benign moles and freckles tend to have a uniform shape.
2) Blurred outline: the outline of the spot tends to merge gradually with the rest of your skin
3) Color variations: the outer edges tend to be varying shades or black, brown or blue
4) Diameter : more than 6 millimeters is usual
5) Elevation or enlargement: it is slightly raised or has become larger in size.
Although it is a useful list of symptoms it doesn’t cover every type of lesion. Your local skin cancer center should have leaflets available which explain in more detail the other symptoms that you could look for. It is wise to go see your medical advisor if there is any change in color, shape or size or if your skin feels different or starts becoming inflamed, bleeding or crusting over. Alternatively if you have a spot that just won’t heal, this could also be skin cancer and should be brought to the attention of medical staff. Prevention is much better than trying to cure this disease and your local cancer center will be happy to put your fears to rest.
So what does skin cancer screening involve? If your doctor suspects melanoma he will arrange for an excision biopsy to be carried out. The whole lesion is removed along with some normal skin around it and examined in a lab. Before this happens, he could arrange for you to have skin surface imaging which will reveal the details of changes in the appearance of the skin. Some of the more advanced skin cancer centers have computerized systems that can examine photographs of lesions and compare them to pictures or cancerous and non cancerous growths in order to make a diagnosis. This is a very advanced system and is rarely wrong.
When the lesion is removed, the surgeon will also remove some healthy tissue around the lesion. This is to ensure that no malignant cells are left behind which could spread the disease further in your body. But it is a delicate procedure as they cannot remove too much tissue in case the lesion is malignant as this will make treatment more difficult. If it is found to be skin cancer, the pathologist will report on the type, thickness and whether there is ulceration or not. The treatment you will have to undergo will depend to a large extent on the pathology findings. The cancer is staged from 1 to 4 with 4 being the most dangerous and difficult to cure.
It is better to take precautions and try to lower the risks of skin cancer then to have to deal with the treatments and worries should you discover that you have contracted skin cancer. There are no guarantees, of course, but taking some simple steps will go a long way to improving your chances of avoiding this all to common form of cancer
Try to avoid being in the direct sun during its peak hours which are between eleven and three o’clock. This is when the suns rays are at their strongest. If you have to be outside for any length of time during these peak hours be sure to wear a hat. Cover what you comfortably can and use sunscreen on the rest. Your sunscreen should have a SPF, sun protection factor, rating of a minimum of fifteen. There are many who believe that thirty is a safer minimum. Although sunscreen is really good to use never assume that it can protect you one hundred percent. It is still important to be smart about your exposure to the sun.
For example, you should never assume that because it is a cloudy dull day that the sun’s rays are gone. You may not be able to see the sun but it is still shining behind the clouds and that means that the ultraviolet light is still coming through. At least sixty percent of it is getting through, maybe more. Equally you should not assume that when swimming the water protects you from the sun’s rays. Unless you are submerged at least a foot under the water the suns ray are still reaching you.
Avoid tanning salons completely. They are not your friends. The use of tanning beds, tanning booths or tanning lamps may give you that healthy glow but they will also give you excessive exposure to ultraviolet light. Studies have proven that a tanning session of fifteen to thirty minutes is equivalent to a full days exposure to the sun outside. That is not a good thing to do to your body. Tanning lotions, creams and supplements do not increase your risk of skin cancer. But, so far researchers have come out against their use sighting other potential dangers. Having a tan is not worth these added health risks.
Although women seem to work harder on their tans, men are more likely to play outdoor sports. Both are just as likely to work in the garden, mow the lawn or work on exterior house maintenance. These are all outdoor activities that require you to cover up. Parents must take care to make sure that their children are also protected. Their skin is much more delicate. Several bad sunburns as a child puts them more at risk for skin cancer as adults.
Learn self-examination techniques. Do this every couple of months as this way if something appears wrong, or wasn’t there in your last self-examination, you will have found it early and go to see your health care provider immediately.
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