Skin Cancer Facts: A Primer

We all enjoy the feeling of the warm sun on our bodies. Playing in the sun is a multi-billion dollar industry, but it also is a cause for caution. If you spend too much time in the sun, especially if you don’t wear a sun screen, you can be putting yourself at risk for skin cancer.

A sun screen is your number one defense against skin cancer and should be applied any time you go outdoors, not just for fun in the sun. It’s best to avoid the midday sun, because it is the strongest. If you can, cover up, and remember to do to a self-exam skin check and look for changes in your skin, every month or two.

Giving yourself a skin exam is a simple, quick process. When you check your body, you will need to keep in mind that there are three kinds of skin cancer and each appears somewhat differently from the others. Some are red and blotchy sores. Other types look like clear bumps.

1. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer and, if caught early, it is most often curable. Basal cell appears like a pearly bump or a sore that sometimes will not heal. Anyone is susceptible to basal cell, especially people who have spent love of time out in the sun. When basal cell cancer is diagnosed, a physician is called in to remove it. This doctor can be a dermatologist or, in cases that appear on the face (or other visible area), it can be a plastic surgeon who does the removal.

2. Squamous cell carcinoma (cancer) is the second-most common type of skin cancer. It too is almost always curable when diagnosed early. Squamous cell carcinoma can spread quickly and, if it does, become more virulent. It is very important to “catch” it in its early stages. This cancer appears as a crusty, scaly patch with a hard surface. Once again, anyone can get this kind of cancer, but sun worshipers are especially inclined to get it.

   Treatment involves removal by a physician, usually in a short office visit. Again, it is important to keep in mind that if the location of the cancer on the skin is in a visible location, a plastic surgeon may be preferred to a dermatologist.

3. Melanoma is the least common of the three types of cancer. It is also the most dangerous. A diagnosis of melanoma is very serious. Even people who have not spent lots of time outdoors can get it. Again, early diagnosis is the best defense. Especially people who have a family history of cancer and those with fair skin, who have had blistering sunburns as children should particularly be on guard. Melanoma usually appears on the skin as dark mole, sometimes with an uneven edge, whose color and size may change over time.

To treat this cancer, a dermatologist or a plastic surgeon remove the cancer from the skin. The earlier the intervention, the less skin it is necessary to remove. If the cancer has spread, other treatments may be necessary.