What are the warning signs of skin cancer?
With over one million new cases occurring each year, skin cancer is one of the most common cancers that affect the American population. Skins cancers of all types are increasing every year and it is becoming a major public concern. Some studies have even concluded that nearly half of all Americans who will live to the age of 65, will develop skin cancer at least one time in their lives. Therefore, people need to heed the warning signs of skin cancer.
One of the most common warning signs of skin cancer ( skin cancer warning signs ) is a significant change in the appearance of the skin like a sore that refuses to heal and a new growth. If any person finds this on their skin, they need to report it immediately.
Skin cancer is generally called within the medical community as skin neoplasia. Nonetheless, there are three major types of skin cancers and they are as following: squamous cell carcinoma (actinic keratosis), melanoma, and the basal cell carcinoma epithelioma. However, the two most common cancers are squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma and if they are found together then it is called nonnmelanoma skin cancer. But the most dangerous of all the skin cancers is melanoma. Melanoma can metastasize (spread) through the human body very rapidly.
However, there are several risk factors for those who develop skin cancer and those risk factors include: light-colored skin, sun exposure, exposure to ultraviolet radiation and therapeutic radiation, and age. The US National Institutes of Health, reports that the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the main cause for developing skin cancer. Therefore, for those who live in a continuously sunny environment they have an extremely high risk for getting skin cancer. Places like Texas, Florida, and California report very high rates of skin cancer in their population. Another important factor is age. The majority of skin cancers that are reported involved people who are over the age of 50. This is mostly due to the fact that all the sun damage that a person accumulates in their life starts to affect them then. Therefore, one of the best things a person can do to prevent themselves from having skin cancer later in their lives is to wear protection and sun lotion when they are young. Also, people who go to tanning booths on a regular basis also have an increase risk for skin cancer. This is because tanning is another way a person will experience ultraviolent radiation. Tanning is generally done in the adolescence years and thus many people who engage in these activities may end up with a skin cancer later in their lives.
However, what are the treatments for skin cancer? Well, there are many treatments available for those who have been diagnosed with skin cancer. These treatments are as following: curettage and desiccation, surgical excision, mohs micrographic surgery, and cryosurgery. Depending on the type of cancer that a person has and its severity – one or a multiply of treatments will be used to help treat and cure this common cancer. Skin cancer is one of the more easily cured of cancers, therefore if people pay attention to any warning signs of skin cancers then they need to heed it.