C&E – this is a two-step procedure in which a curette (sharp-tipped instrument) is used to remove the more friable cancer tissue from normal tissue and bleeding is controlled by an electrical current or by a chemical agent.  This cycle is repeated two to four times. Nodular and superficial BCC and non-invasive SCC can usually be treated effectively with C&E. It is a low risk procedure.

Cryosurgery – liquid nitrogen is used at very low temperatures ( below -50°C)  to freeze the skin and induce necrosis of the skin in the treated area. This cycle is repeated two or three times.  It is a low risk and effective treatment for primary superficial and nodular BCC, or superficial SCC.  The treatment will result in an open wound that usually would take a few months to heal.

Radiation – this treatment has a reported cure rate of 89 to 95 percent.  It is useful for the older people who cannot tolerate surgery, for medium sized tumors and for lesions that are too inaccessible to be removed surgically.  Radiation is particularly useful for lesions on or near the face.

Chemotherapy – involving the use of chemotherapeutic agents like 5-FU or Imiquimod cream. The substance is applied directly to the skin twice a day for four weeks or more.  It works by causing an inflammatory reaction. Though it is easy to use, there are concerns on possible skin irritation and pigmentation changes.

Surgery – excision is a surgical procedure that removes the entire lesion with an appropriate margin, usually 3-5mm, of clinically normal tissue.  The resulting defect is then repaired with sutures.

Mohs Micrographic surgery – this involves removing successive horizontal layers of the skin cancer with a small margin (1-2mm) of surrounding tissue.  Each layer is sent for pathological examination.  The result of microscopic examinations would decide if further layer removal is required.  Because this method has the highest cure rate of 97-99 percent, it is recommended for all tumors in the high-risk areas of the face.

Laser therapy – this involves the use of carbon dioxide laser as a cutting instrument much like a scalpel.

Sunblock or sunscreen has proved to be effective and is a convenient choice to use. However, there are some information that people should bear in mind in selecting these products and using them.

SPF – SPF stands for sun protection factor. It indicates the number of times your original time (for reddening your skin) can be extended. For instance, an SPF of 15 means that it would take 15 times longer to redden than without the sunscreen.  For normal commuting and daily wear, a SPF of at least 15 is recommended.

Broad spectrum protection – preferably look for the ones that offer the broad spectrum protection, that is, with both UVA and UVB protection.

Water-resistant – you will get even more protection from a product that is labeled “water-proof”.  The water-resistant products generally afford full protection for forty minutes in water and also provide better protection even if you sweat heavily.

Allergic Reaction – try to stay away from products containing the chemical like PABA as some people could develop an allergic reaction to it.

Useful active ingredients – look for sunscreens that contain titanium dioxide, micronized zinc oxide or avobenzone.   Zinc oxide is effective in blocking both UVA and UVB rays.

Reapply regularly – depending on the SPF values, sunscreen should be reapplied at appropriate intervals.  This should be done even more often if you are sweating or swimming or in an environment that intensifies the reflection of the sun’s rays.  A good example o the latter would be winter sports.

AK usually appears as a small crusty, scaly, or crumbly bump on the skin surface.  It can be hard to locate because it may be light or dark, tan, pink, red, or a combination of the above.  It can even be in the same color as the skin.  Because the scale or crust is dry and rough, in which case spotting them through touch is quite effective.

Occasionally, you might find AK bleeding, or having surrounding skin swollen with different shades of red.

They generally grow very slowly into a size of about a quarter inch in length. The usual places that they would appear include the face, lips, ears, scalp, neck, backs of the hands and forearms, shoulders, and back.  The one found on the lips, called actinic cheilitis, could evolve into a type of squamous cell skin cancer that can spread rapidly to other parts of the body.

Sun damage remains the key factor giving rise to AK’s.

The AK lesions can be eliminated quite easily if treated early.  It is safe as they haven’t developed into skin cancers yet.  However, if left untreated, about 10% may progress to squamous cell carcinoma.

Researchers have since found that tanning beds do produce UVB rays as well. Besides, UVA rays are not as safe as once thought. These rays can penetrate deeper into the skin and cause damages to the dermis, the true skin.

Articles from the Skin Cancer Foundation reveal that the high pressure sunlamps used in tanning salons emit doses of UVA as much as 12 times that of the sun. As a result, people frequent tanning salons are 2.5 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma, and 1.5 times more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma. In terms of the risk of developing melanoma, it is almost twice as often as other people. For youth exposing to tanning beds, the likelihood of melanoma happening in the latter part of their life could be as high as 75%.

The idea of using tanning beds to create a safe “base tan” first before exposing to the natural sun has proved false as well. It does nothing to prevent sunburn.

Getting your tan by way of the machine or directly from the natural sun is equally dangerous. The more we know about these ultra-violet rays, the more we have to ask ourselves the question: is the tan worth the risk?

Metastasis is a key criterion for malignancy. When the cancerous tumor manages to penetrate from the epidermis layer into the dermis layer of the skin, it could spread out very fast, to lymph nodes, blood vessels, and so to distant sites inside the body.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma share many common characteristics. For instance, it is usually found in the sun-exposed areas of the body. The commonest sites would include the head, the nose, temples, rim of the ear and lip, as well as the side and back of the neck, and the dorsal surfaces of the hand and forearm. SCC also occurs in sites of previous burns, scars, or chronic ulcers; or on the mucous membranes of the mouth.

It would normally appear as a red, scaling, well-defined plaque and may gradually develop into an ulcer, a scaly crust, or a wartlike surface. Eventually, it can spread into the deeper or surrounding tissues. They may become itchy or painful, and the lesion may start to bleed or ulcerate.

Reoccurrence is quite common amongst people who have had their SCC removed before. Typically, a reoccurrence might happen in the first two years of the previous removal and is likely to appear in the same skin area as to the previous presentation.

Sunlight, X-ray exposure, arsenic ingestion, and occupational carcinogens are all key contributing factors to this skin cancer. As such, getting to know about these causes and building the knowledge of defence would surely be the most meaningful strategy.

1/ Ultra-violet rays from the sun – the two associated with skin cancer are UVA (ultra-violet A) and UVB (ultra-violet B) rays. UVB rays are the shorter-wave solar rays and are more unlikely to cause skin reddening and sunburn. UVA rays, however, would have more permanent damages to the skin as they penetrate much deeper to the skin. Latest studies show that UVA not only increases UVB’s cancer-causing effects, but may also directly cause some skin cancers, including melanomas.

2/ Family History – recent research confirms that the risk of melanoma is more than double in people with a family history of skin cancer. Though having someone in the family with skin cancer does not necessarily mean that you will get it too, it certainly warrants some extra attention because of the higher risk factor.

3/ Chemical Exposure – some chemicals might cause harm when they come into contact with your skin. Insecticides, for instance, often contain substances like arsenic that are dangerous to the skin. They can increase the risk of non-melanoma skin cancer. Nevertheless, people working in environments in regular contact with chemicals and industrial materials (such as petroleum derivatives, arsenicals, and coal tar) are more likely to develop some type of skin cancer.

4/ Smoking — whilst it is common knowledge that smoking is linked to other types of cancer such as mouth and lung cancers, the tobacco used in cigarettes etc could be a cause to developing skin cancer too.

5/ Radiation Exposure – there are concerns that radiation therapy that some children undergo for other cancer treatments may increase the risk of developing a non-melanoma skin cancer. Also, people working with X-rays, including medical, nursing and radiographic personnels are subject to higher risks.

6/ Skin Condition and Geography – certain skin conditions can increase a person’s risk of developing skin cancer. For instance, people with light to fair skin living in tropical or subtropical climates, such as the American Southwest, equatorial Africa, Hawaii, and Australia, generally have very high incidences of skin cancer. Serious injuries to the skin, if not healed in time, could raise the chance for non-melanoma skin cancer. Likewise for scars from very bad burns.

7/ Weak Immune System – the immune system is part of the body’s defense against bacteria and cancerous formations. When the immune system is strong, the antibodies and immune cells are better able to do their job in neutralizing the free radicals and getting rid of the harmful elements from the body. Conversely, a weak immune system would open up a lot of possibilities as cancerous cells could spread out fast and divide in ways that are hard to predict.

Ultra-violet ray spectrum covers a range from about 4 to 380 nanometers (nm).  A nanometer is one billionth of a meter.  The whole spectrum is made up of three sections:  UVC rays from about 100 to 280nm, UVB rays from about 280 to 320nm, and UVA from about 320 to 400nm.

Only UVB and UVA reach the earth’s surface and are therefore the ones that have a strong bearing to our overall skin health.

UVB has longed been regarded as the tanning ray and is the strongest in the summer months.  In moderation, these rays help to induce tanning.  As a result, the skin is protected from too much exposure to the sun by thickening the epidermis (outer layer of skin).  However, more often than not, people are suffering from sunburn because of prolonged exposure to these rays.

UVA was regarded in the 80’s as the safe ray.  As a result, the use of UVA was widely promoted in tanning beds and tanning salons.  We now understand that UVA is not better off than UVB.  Indeed these rays can penetrate the skin more deeply, causing skin wrinkling and leathering. They can result in more permanent damages to the skin cells called keratinocytes in the basal layer of the epidermis, inevitably enhancing the chance of such damaged cells to becoming cancerous.

In order than we can effectively protect our body from UVA and UVB damages, using sunscreen products with a SPF of at least 15+ is highly recommended.

According to the American Cancer Society, the most recent estimates show that America alone has over 68,000 new cases of melanoma every year, and more than 8,500 deaths annually directly attributable to this type of skin cancer. The lifetime risk of getting melanoma is about 1 in 50 for whites, 1 in 1000 for blacks, and 1 in 200 for Hispanics.

Melanoma is a malignant tumor that originates in melanocytes located in the epidermis. These melanocytes are cells that produce melanin, the pigment that colors the skin, and protects it from harmful ultra-violet rays.

The majority of melanomas are brown or black. However, some are in the same color as the skin, or pink, red, purple, blue, or white. The usual sites of melanoma in white people include the head, neck, trunk, and limbs. In the black people, there is a good likelihood to show up on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and mucous membranes.

These tumors can also show up in somewhat unusual locations, such as under the nail of a finger or toe and on the mucosa lining inside of the mouth, vagina, or anus.

There are two phases of growth of melanoma – radially (outwardly on the surface of the skin) and vertically (deeply into the layers of the skin). Once the melanoma has penetrated deeply into the dermis of the skin, and has reached the lymphatic and blood vessels, the melanoma can utilize the lymphatics and bloodstream to spread to distant locations, most commonly to the lungs, liver, and brain. It is said to metastasize.

For patients with a melanoma less than 1mm thick, the likelihood of death due to the disease is only about 10%. However, this would rise to about 30% for a tumor with a thickness of 3mm.

Though we come across melanoma as a deadly skin cancer, there is a lot of hope for a 100 percent cure if it is detected and treated early. As a matter of fact, more than 90% of patients are alive for five years or more following their first diagnosis of melanoma.

Skin marks like moles, freckles and birthmarks are generally caused by melanocytes and blood vessels within the skin. Melanocytes are cells located in the outer layer of the skin – the epidermis. These cells are responsible for producing melanin — a dark substance to shield the skin from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun.

Almost everyone would have moles on their body. These moles are basically made up of melanocytes coming together. The color varies between dark brown, reddish, or blue. Most moles are round in shape, and would usually stay the same. They can stick out from the skin, or lie flat, or have hairs growing from them. Sometimes, moles can change in shape, size, and color.

Freckle is another common form of skin marks. Many people have freckles all over their skin. They are caused by darkened melanocytes. When skin is exposed to a lot of sun, freckles can become darker and more spread out. People with fair skin and light hair are the likely ones to develop freckles. To a lot of people, it is comforting to know that freckles could fade or disappear with age.

Birthmarks, also called hemangiomas, show up early in life. Most birthmarks are caused by a collection of blood vessels in one place. Some might appear as sticking out from the skin, or others might be smooth and lying flat. In most circumstances, birthmarks are harmless. They might even disappear as a person grows older.

Would any of the above skin marks be a cause of concern? Generally speaking, no. However, we need to understand that there are a number of reasons that could turn healthy skin cells into cancerous ones. Once skin cells turn cancerous, they could multiple uncontrollably. The worse scenario is that they could spread to different body systems, and eventually causing death.

Bearing this in mind, it is always prudent to keep a watchful eye on any changes on the condition of your skin marks. If anything looks suspicious, refer to the specialist.

Skin cancer is one of the common forms of cancer these days. In comparison with the other forms of cancer, it is less life-threatening because it is more noticeable even at early stages of its formation.

It is relatively easy to detect with self inspection of the skin. Besides, there are obvious ways that people can follow to minimize possibility of skin cancer from even occurring in the first place.

It is a good idea to incorporate as part of a routine physical checkup that your doctor examines your skin for any abnormal growths or discoloration, etc. You should also check your skin regularly at least once a month.

Checking your skin for skin cancer is quick, easy, and painless. When you do your self examination, you will want to take your time to really get a good look at your skin and bear in mind the various signs of cancerous growths. Make sure that you are in a well lit area and preferably with a full length mirror. Get ready a hand mirror as well because there will likely be areas that are not so easy to see with only one mirror. Carefully observe your skin and condition. You would gain a lot better understanding about how your healthy skin would look, and set a comparison to whatever that might look suspicious.

When examining your skin, take note of anything you haven’t noticed before. Start with your face and carefully work your way down the length of your body. Try to pay particular attention to the areas that are often exposed to the sun. Look for changes in the character of any abnormality such as the shape or size of a mole or discoloration.

If you like, you can research for medical drawings or photos online to guide you in the different types of skins cancers.

Early detection is the key to successfully treating skin cancer.

In general, people with lighter complexion might be more vulnerable. There are good ways to protect your skin from harmful UV-A’s and UV-B’s. Consider the like of wearing sunscreen, covering exposed skin, and wearing hats. If at all possible, try to stay indoors and keep yourself away from those extremely sunny conditions.

Over time, you would realize that all these little things would add up to give you a better-looking and healthier skin.

There are three different types of skin cancers that can be found on your skin.

The first form of skin cancer to emerge is squamous cell carcinoma. These neoplasms typically develop in areas which have been exposed to too much sun, more often than not  the face and the ears. A lump or a swelling is often the first manifestation of squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer. If left untreated, it ulcerates into an unhealing open sore which continues to grow in size. In the later stages it can also spread to other parts of the body.

Basal cell carcinoma is another one of the types of skin cancers. These are generally found on the face, hands and neck and are as many as seventy five percent of all skin cancers that are diagnosed. Basal cell carcinoma is very treatable and can be cured quite easily if it is found early enough. The symptoms of basal cell carcinoma are a sore that bleeds and is irritated. It may also resemble a fresh scar.

The third type of skin cancer is the most dangerous of all of them. It is melanoma and it can be found on any area of the body. It is usually found on the arms and legs in the beginning. It will look like a mole or freckle that has recently appeared on the skin. It can also be from an existing mole that has recently changed its size, shape or color. The border of the melanoma will be indistinguishable and it may have more than one color.

It is imperative that the melanoma type of skin cancer be found and eradicated early to prevent the problems that will come with the later stages of this skin cancer.

There are many steps you can take to prevent skin cancer. Most importantly, try protect your skin from the sun whenever you are outside. It is a good idea to always wear sunscreen no matter what time of year it is.  Have enough clothing to keep the skin from over-exposure to the sun.  Have a hat handy to keep your face and head in shade.

In a nutshell, if you can keep an eye on your skin and be mindful of  early symptoms of cancer development, you would likely keep yourself out of trouble.

As always, your best chance is from prevention and awareness.