Skin Cancer
What is Skin Cancer ?
Skin cancer is cancer that starts as a growth of cells on the skin. The cells can invade and destroy healthy body tissue. Sometimes the cells break away and spread to other parts of the body. Many kinds of skin cancer exist. The most common skin cancers are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. While these are the most common, they often can be cured. The most dangerous form of skin cancer is melanoma. It is more likely to spread, making it harder to cure.
Most skin cancers happen on skin that gets a lot of sunlight. The light that comes from the sun is thought to cause most skin cancers. You can reduce your risk of skin cancer by covering your skin with clothes or sunscreen to protect it from the sun. Some skin cancers happen on skin that doesn’t typically get sun. This likely means that something else is causing these cancers. To reduce your risk of these kinds of skin cancers, check your skin regularly for any changes. Report these changes to your healthcare professional.
Symptoms
- A pearly or waxy bump
- A flat, flesh-colored or brown scar-like lesion
- A bleeding or scabbing sore that heals and returns
- A firm, red nodule
- Dark lesions on your palms, soles, fingertips or toes
- A large brownish spot with darker speckles
- A mole that changes in color, size or feel or that bleeds
- A small lesion with irregular border
- A painful lesion that itches or burns
- A flat lesion with a scaly, crusted surface
Cause
Most skin cancers are caused by exposure to light from the sun. The light that comes from the sun is a kind of ultraviolet light. That kind of light also can come from tanning beds and tanning lamps. Ultraviolet light contains radiation that changes the DNA inside skin cells and leads to skin cancer. Not all skin cancers happen on skin that typically gets a lot of sun. This means something else also causes skin cancer. It’s not always clear what causes skin cancer. But healthcare professionals have found some things that increase the risk. These include having a weakened immune system and having a family history of skin cancer. Skin cancer starts when skin cells develop changes in their DNA. A cell’s DNA holds the instructions that tell the cell what to do. In healthy cells, the DNA tells the cells to grow and multiply at a set rate. The DNA also tells the cells to die at a set time. In cancer cells, the DNA changes give different instructions. The changes tell the cancer cells to grow and multiply quickly. Cancer cells can keep living when healthy cells would die. This causes too many cells. The cancer cells can invade and destroy healthy body tissue. In time, cancer cells can break away and spread to other parts of the body. When cancer spreads, it’s called metastatic cancer.
Risk Factors
Factors that may increase the risk of skin cancer include Skin that sunburns easily, Light from the sun, Light from tanning beds, A history of sunburns, A history of skin cancer, A family history of skin cancer, and A weakened immune system.
When to see a Doctor
Make an appointment with a doctor or other healthcare professional if you notice any changes to your skin that worry you.