Facts :
For all forms of skin cancer, years of exposure to strong sunlight seems to be the main cause. Other causes of skin cancer include repeated exposure to radiation or certain chemicals, such as coal tars and asphalt, scarring from disease or burns, and genetic and hormonal factors. Skin cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer. There are two main types:
Melanoma and non-melanoma. Melanoma begins in skin cells that produce melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color. Two kinds of non-melanoma, basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma, originate in different types of cells in the epidermis, or outer skin layer. Melanoma is the "black mole" kind of skin cancer. It is less common and more dangerous because it tends to spread rapidly. Squamous cell carcinoma is less serious, but can also spread to other parts of the body. Basal cell carcinoma grows slowly, doesn't spread quickly, and is usually not life threatening. Every year, about 32,000 new cases of melanoma and 700,000 cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are diagnosed in the United States. Skin cancer is the most easily detectable, curable and preventable cancer. The cure rate for non-melanoma skin cancers is about 95 percent when properly treated.
Skin Cancer Prevention
* Avoid sun exposure and exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
* If you must be out in the sun, always use protection: wear a long-sleeved shirt or cover-up, a hat that shades your face and sunglasses.
* Always wear sunscreen (with a sun protection factor of at least 15) on exposed body parts, even during the winter, when sun reflected off the snow may be intense. Apply it 15 to 30 minutes (or more) before going out in the sun.
* Avoid sun exposure between 10 AM and 3 PM when the sun's rays are their most fierce.
* Check your skin monthly for unusual moles or changes in existing skin markings, using a full-length mirror and a hand mirror to see your back. See a dermatologist if you notice any changes and for regular skin checkups.
* Don't use sunlamps or tanning centers.
Self-Examination:
The best way to detect skin cancer early is to perform monthly self-examinations. First, count and plot your moles so that you can note any changes. Then, each month examine each part of your body using a full-length mirror and a hand mirror. Be sure to check the front, back, sides, forearms, upper underarms and palms, backs of legs and feet, including spaces between toes, the back of the neck and scalp, under the hair and the back and buttocks.
Risk Factors
Fair-skinned Caucasians living in sunny places are at greatest risk for developing skin cancer. People who work outdoors, the elderly, anyone who has had severe sunburn and people repeatedly exposed to radiation or hydrocarbons found in coal tars, pitch, and asphalt are also at risk. Other risk factors include having skin damage or defects, being an albino and having a family history of skin cancer or a condition called dysplastic nevi syndrome, characterized by larger-than-normal moles that begin growing later in life. People whose immune systems are weaker than normal (such as chemotherapy patients and people with AIDS) are also at greater risk..
Symptoms
Any unusual skin condition, like a change in a mole or other pigmented growth or spot, or a wound that doesn't heal should cause concern. Scaliness, oozing, bleeding, a growing bump, itchiness, pain and tenderness are all possible symptoms of skin cancer. Melanoma may begin in or near a mole or other dark spot on the skin. Warning signs in moles are asymmetry (when the shape of one half doesn't match the other half); ragged, irregular, notched or blurred borders; different shades of color and growth; and size (larger than a pencil eraser).
For all forms of skin cancer, years of exposure to strong sunlight seems to be the main cause. Other causes of skin cancer include repeated exposure to radiation or certain chemicals, such as coal tars and asphalt, scarring from disease or burns, and genetic and hormonal factors. Skin cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer. There are two main types:
Melanoma and non-melanoma. Melanoma begins in skin cells that produce melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color. Two kinds of non-melanoma, basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma, originate in different types of cells in the epidermis, or outer skin layer. Melanoma is the "black mole" kind of skin cancer. It is less common and more dangerous because it tends to spread rapidly. Squamous cell carcinoma is less serious, but can also spread to other parts of the body. Basal cell carcinoma grows slowly, doesn't spread quickly, and is usually not life threatening. Every year, about 32,000 new cases of melanoma and 700,000 cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are diagnosed in the United States. Skin cancer is the most easily detectable, curable and preventable cancer. The cure rate for non-melanoma skin cancers is about 95 percent when properly treated.
Skin Cancer Prevention
* Avoid sun exposure and exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
* If you must be out in the sun, always use protection: wear a long-sleeved shirt or cover-up, a hat that shades your face and sunglasses.
* Always wear sunscreen (with a sun protection factor of at least 15) on exposed body parts, even during the winter, when sun reflected off the snow may be intense. Apply it 15 to 30 minutes (or more) before going out in the sun.
* Avoid sun exposure between 10 AM and 3 PM when the sun's rays are their most fierce.
* Check your skin monthly for unusual moles or changes in existing skin markings, using a full-length mirror and a hand mirror to see your back. See a dermatologist if you notice any changes and for regular skin checkups.
* Don't use sunlamps or tanning centers.
Self-Examination:
The best way to detect skin cancer early is to perform monthly self-examinations. First, count and plot your moles so that you can note any changes. Then, each month examine each part of your body using a full-length mirror and a hand mirror. Be sure to check the front, back, sides, forearms, upper underarms and palms, backs of legs and feet, including spaces between toes, the back of the neck and scalp, under the hair and the back and buttocks.
Risk Factors
Fair-skinned Caucasians living in sunny places are at greatest risk for developing skin cancer. People who work outdoors, the elderly, anyone who has had severe sunburn and people repeatedly exposed to radiation or hydrocarbons found in coal tars, pitch, and asphalt are also at risk. Other risk factors include having skin damage or defects, being an albino and having a family history of skin cancer or a condition called dysplastic nevi syndrome, characterized by larger-than-normal moles that begin growing later in life. People whose immune systems are weaker than normal (such as chemotherapy patients and people with AIDS) are also at greater risk..
Symptoms
Any unusual skin condition, like a change in a mole or other pigmented growth or spot, or a wound that doesn't heal should cause concern. Scaliness, oozing, bleeding, a growing bump, itchiness, pain and tenderness are all possible symptoms of skin cancer. Melanoma may begin in or near a mole or other dark spot on the skin. Warning signs in moles are asymmetry (when the shape of one half doesn't match the other half); ragged, irregular, notched or blurred borders; different shades of color and growth; and size (larger than a pencil eraser).
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