Skin Cancer

The Skin Cancer Foundation warns;

• Everyone should be aware of every mole on their body both front and back, as well as any type of skin discoloration.
• You should always wear year-round protection on your skin, if you live in a sunny or moderately sunny climate.
• Any Sunblock under SPF15 is inadequate to stop skin cancer from forming.
• Putting sunblock on your entire body is preferable to just putting sunblockyou’re your exposed face, arms and legs.

More than one million people will die of skin cancer this year.  The reason is, skin cancer cases is on the rise as more people escape to worship the sun.

One person dies every hour from skin cancer

Skin cancer is easily detectable because as the cells mutate, you will see in the epidermis the formation of the tumor.  This can look like a mole with jagged or rough edges, a discoloration patch of skin or another type of skin anomaly

Three types of skin cancer

Basil Cell Carcinoma- these cells form because of extended periods of time that the skin has been exposed to direct sunlight. The outer layer of skin starts growing these cells which are basically tiny tumors. This growth can disfigure the body, depending on where the growth is occurring.  BCC is never malignant, therefore it is a centralized growth that will not spread very far. BCC begins as a tiny bump under the skin and as it grows, it will become painful when touched.

Squamas Cell Carcinoma- also caused by repeated, unprotected and prolonged exposure to the sun. These cells are flat, start out rounded and quite small and as they grow they develop an area of inflammation around them. These cells can become cancerous, but this does not occur very often.

Malignant Melanoma- This is the most severe form of skin cancer.  If malignant melanoma goes untreated, the cancer will spread and the patient will die. It can start with a simple mole that looks like it is discolored and out of shape. As the edges become more jagged, this means the cells are spreading and you should get checked quickly.

All these types of skin cancer can appear anywhere on your body that has been exposed to repeated sessions with the sun.  Sun protection is the key. Not all sunblock is effective in warding off the sun’s damaging rays.

Signs of skin cancer

• Any changes to moles including bleeding, itching, shape changes or scabbing
• New moles forming on the skin
• Scaly skin, itching, tenderness

Skin cancer prevention

Stand in front of a full length mirror with your clothes off. Look at your body and on a piece of paper mark every area where there are moles. Look at the color of the moles, are they uniform in color? Bumpy or scaly? Irregular or round? Hard or smooth? Make note of where they are and how they look and then just keep an eye on them. Every month repeat the procedure and if you see one that is changing, take a non-toxic fine marker and mark the outline of the mole. If the next time you look the mole has spread past your marked outline- call your doctor.  Skin cancer if caught early enough can usually be defeated. Early detection again is the key!