Basic information about skin cancer
Post date: December 4th, 2006Skin cancer is defined as ‘a malignant neoplasm of the skin’. The most common cancer, the risk of skin cancer affects a large cross section of the population, most notably those that have fair skin and freckles. Consequently, it is also relatively preventable when you take the proper precautions. Simply put, skin cancer is often caused by an over-exposure of the body to ultra-violet rays. It doesn’t matter where these rays come from; both the sun and commercial tanning beds give you a heightened risk of developing skin cancer. To most easily prevent your chance of getting this disease, it’s important to take the proper precautions when exposing yourself to the sun. When possible, wear clothing that is tightly woven to avoid the suns rays. A loose fit on your clothes is another way to ensure that as few rays as possible reach your skin. Dark colored clothing is also known to help ward off ultra-violet rays, so all of these precautions should be taken when you are planning to be in the sun for an extended period of time. Also, it is crucial to wear sun screen when exposing your body to the sun’s rays. An SPF value of at least 15 is recommended for those who wish to sun themselves without significantly increasing their risk of developing skin cancer. Also, do your best to avoid exposing yourself to the sun’s rays between 10 AM and 3 PM. These are the hours of the day in which the sun produces the most UV rays, and avoiding sun during these hours is recommended to decrease your likelihood of skin cancer. Your lips should also be protected with an SPF lip balm, since the risk of lip cancer is increased by too much sun exposure. Sunglasses can also be a good idea; they help you to avoid getting too much exposure to the sun on your eyelids, which are sensitive layers of skin which can develop skin cancer just the same as the rest of your body.
There are three types of skin cancer: the two that are most harmless are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. When these cancers are discovered, it is usually possible to treat them without much of a risk, with a full 90% of all carcinomas diagnoses being treated properly. However, there is another, more deadly type of skin cancer, which is known as malignant melanoma. This type of skin cancer can spread to other parts of the body, including the lungs and the liver, and can be very difficult to treat. While this cancer can be removed with a high success rate when caught early, advanced cases of melanoma can be very difficult to treat. Melanoma accounts for a full 75% of all skin cancer cases which result in death. If melanoma is diagnosed while in an early stage, treatment can be very simple and the risk of death is low. However, the longer you wait, the more exponential the risk of death grows.
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