HEALTHY LIVING RESULTS

If you have listened to the news lately you have heard all about the signs of skin cancer and how important early detection is. And yet, many people are still unable to tell what the signs of skin cancer are. They are missing the chance to detect it early when it is still easy to treat and the chances of survival are higher. Here are a few things that you should look for in some of the more common cancers.

Even people who do not know a lot about skin cancer have probably heard about malignant melanoma. This is because skin doctors stress the importance of identifying these fast spreading, deadly tumors. They are called melanomas because they start in moles and areas where melanin, the pigment factor in skin, is present. People with more melanin in their skin often have more of a protection against these tumors but it is no reason to go without sun screen if you will be outside.

If you want an easy way to detect melanomas, you should remember the “ABC’s” of skin cancer detection. You want to check the Appearance of a mole. You want to look at its Borders. And, lastly, the Color of that mole can be a key to whether or not it is malignant. A benign mole will not look different in a short period of time. It will have regular, even borders and be a normal brown color. Anything that is raised, fast growing, uneven or oddly colored should be assessed by a doctor as soon as possible. This makes your chances of survival much more likely.

The next form of skin cancer is basal cell carcinoma. These cancers do not start out life as a mole. Instead, they start off looking like several different things. They can look like a sore which will not heal, a small firm lump, or even a scar or reddish patch of skin. It is important to get any strange scars or marks on the skin checked out since it can mean that you are developing a basal cell carcinoma. They are serious but they rarely spread to other organs. Remember that even if the cancer is not spreading to other organs or systems it is still growing and if they are causing open weeping sores, you will not find them very attractive to look at.

Squamous cell carcinoma is another very common form of skin cancer. Like basal cell carcinoma these also start off as raised lumps, bumps or wart-like areas. They may also crust or scale over but may also open up and bleed or ooze on a regular basis. It can start out as a rough, red painful rash that may eventually form into a lump or bump and begin to grow from there.

If there are any areas that you are worried about or that look at all unusual, you need to see your doctor to have them looked at. The doctor will take a biopsy or sample of the cells in the area you are worried about. Depending on what they find, you will then begin an appropriate course of treatment depending on what stage the cancer is at, whether it has spread and what kind of skin cancer you have.

The kind of treatment can vary between people and cancers so you can see why an accurate and early diagnosis is as important as possible. It can mean the difference between survival and death and nobody wants to think they could have saved their life if they had taken the time to get in to see their doctor. Taking the time to learn how to recognize and diagnose possible skin cancers can be the best skill you have learned yet.

Even just a Mole can be a Early Signs of Skin Cancer If you have doubt any of these five signs of skin cancer please consult your physician immediately.