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Information About Skin Cancer

By: Cary Clack Cancer. Is there any more devastating word? How stupid would you feel if you were diagnosed with it and found out you could have prevented it. In this case, we are talking skin cancer. When sitting in a doctor’s office, one always tends to get the feeling any news will be bad news. Imagine sitting there and having your doctor tell you that you have cancer. What would your reaction be to such news. Panic? Shock? What would it mean to your life, your family, your friends if you found out you had cancer. What if it is terminal?

A diagnosis of cancer carries a certain lotto factor. Getting cancer is bad enough, but the type of cancer is critical to your ultimate outcome. Fortunately, skin cancer is both treatable and preventable. So you have skin cancer. What exactly does that mean? Well, you have an abnormal growth in an area of your skin. It can be found in different layers of the skin, but the epidermis is most common.

If you like to go out in the sun, you are probably already aware of the risks. That being said, it is important to understand that a good tan does not lower your risk. Also, short periods of exposure can be just as deadly if you burn. Cancerous skin growth is actually a catch all phrase. This particular cancer breaks down into three different types with each having its own outcome.

If you are particularly unlucky, you will be diagnosed with Malignant melanoma. It is a killer. If not treated early, it will spread and is fatal. Fortunately, it is the least common diagnosis. Strange as it may sound, the second sub-cancer can be hereditary. It is basal cell. It is also the most frequently diagnosed skin cancer. The good news is it is rarely fatal and can be treated.

Our final sub-category of skin cancer is Squamous cell. It falls somewhere between the previous two. It is diagnosed less than basal, but more than melanoma. It can even have a hereditary element. If treated early, it is curable. If not, it can be fatal. There is a really sad thing about people with bad skin cancer. The ugly truth is they could have done something about it. You see, skin cancer is prevented pretty easily.

Love to be outside? Is your idea of a good time to go for walks, lay out in the sun or maybe just poke around in the garden? Well, you are increasing your risk of getting skin cancer. The magic cure for skin cancer is sun protection. If you are going to be out in the sun, wear it! That’s it. How hard is that? If you have less hair than you might wish, you should also wear a hat. Take these common sense, easy steps, and you can prevent problems.