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Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is a malignant growth on the skin which can have many causes. Skin cancer generally develops in the epidermis, the outermost layer of skin, so a tumor is usually clearly visible. This makes most skin cancers detectable in the early stages.

There are three common types of skin cancer, each of which is named after the type of skin cell from which it arises. In the case of cancers caused by ultraviolet light exposure, a broad-spectrum sun screen is one of the better forms of prevention.

Skin cancer is most closely associated with chronic inflammation of the skin. This includes:

• Sunburn or excessive sun damage, especially early in life. UVA & UVB have both been implicated in causing DNA damage resulting in cancer. Sun exposure between 10AM and 4PM is thought to be most harmful. Natural (sun) & artificial UV exposure (tanning salons) are associated with skin cancer.
• Chronic non-healing wounds, especially burns.

Types of skin cancer

The most common types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) which may be locally disfiguring but are unlikely to spread to other parts of the body. The most dangerous type is malignant melanoma. This form of skin cancer can be fatal if not treated early but comprise only a small proportion of all skin cancers.

Symptoms

There are a variety of different skin cancer symptoms. These include sores or changes in the skin that do not heal, ulcers in the skin, discoloration, and changes in existing moles.

• Basal cell carcinoma usually looks like a raised, smooth, pearly bump on the sun-exposed skin of the head, neck or shoulders. Sometimes small blood vessels can be seen within the tumor. Crusting and bleeding in the center of the tumor frequently develops. It is often mistaken for a sore that does not heal.
• Squamous cell carcinoma is commonly a red, scaling, thickened patch on sun-exposed skin. Ulceration and bleeding may occur. When SCC is not treated, it may develop into a large mass.
• Most melanomas are brown to black looking lesions. Signs that might indicate a malignant melanoma include change in size, shape, color or elevation of a mole. The appearance of a new mole during adulthood, or new pain, itching, ulceration or bleeding of an existing mole should be checked.

Treatment

Most skin cancers can be treated by removal of the lesion, making sure that the edges (margins) are free of tumor cells. The excisions provide the best cure for both early and high-risk disease.

For low-risk disease, radiation therapy and cryotherapy (freezing the cancer off) can provide adequate control of the disease; both, however, have lower overall cure rates than surgery.

How to reduce the risk

Although it is impossible to completely eliminate the possibility of skin cancer, the risk of developing such a cancer can be reduced significantly with the following steps:

• reducing exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, especially in early years
• avoiding sunburns
• avoiding sun exposure during the day (usually from 10 AM to 2 PM), when the sun is highest in the sky
• wearing protective clothing (long sleeves and hats) when outdoors
• using a broad-spectrum sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB radiation

Although it is generally accepted that UV exposure is the greatest risk factor in melanoma development, some sceptics say that there is no proven data that links moderate sun exposure with the appearance of melanoma.

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