Types of Skin Cancer Symptoms And Treatment

If you are prone to sun burn and work in the sun a lot then it makes sense to get you skin checked out at least once a year by a professional. Skin cancer screening is a process where your skin is examined for any blemishes, marks or bumps that may be cancerous. It can identify potential problems early on and thus increase the chances of treating the disease effectively and without fuss.

However, you should also examine your skin from time to time for any changes. In order to do this successfully you need to know a bit about skin cancer. This article will list the three types of skin cancer and their typical signs and treatment. There are three types of skin cancer. The first two mentioned are considered to be benign most of the time so they are easy to treat.

However it is still important to identify and treat them as soon as possible as they may spread and lead to a more serious problem. Basal Cell Carcinoma The most common form of the three types of skin cancer is known as basal cell carcinoma. Typical signs of basal cell carcinoma are a waxy bump that appears on the face or neck. Other signs are brown or flesh colored marks that may look like an old scar.

They can appear anywhere on the body but are more common on the back or chest. Treatment of basal cell carcinoma is relatively straightforward as the carcinoma rarely spreads to other parts of the body. Treatment involves removing the bump or blemish. This is normally done by cutting it out or freezing it.

This is a simple process that can be done in the doctors surgery in about thirty minutes depending on the size and number of carcinoma. Squamous Cell Carcinoma This is another common type of skin cancer and is generally treated in the same way as basal cell carcinoma. However, squamous cell carcinoma has a tendency to spread to other areas of the body, normally the surrounding tissue to the problem area. A red nodule or bump that is hard or firm to touch is a typical manifestation of squamous cell carcinoma. It will develop from this to have scaly or flaky skin at the surface that may peel.

Eventually it will become a lesion that may bleed. It can occur anywhere on the body but the common areas are the face, neck, arms and hands. It can also appear on the lips and ears sometimes.

Treatment involves cutting away the carcinoma or freezing it. Melanoma Melanoma is the least common type of skin cancer but it is also the most serious. Melanoma has the potential to spread to other parts of the body. It could move to the lymph nodes which accelerates the spreading of the disease to other areas of the body including vital organs.

If it is not treated, melanoma can lead to death. This is why screening and self examination is important to treating skin cancer. You should be aware of any changes to your skin and mention them to the doctor when you are screened. They can make a professional diagnosis or take a biopsy.

Knowing the signs and characteristics of the three types of skin cancer will help you to diagnose and treat the disease however prevention is a far better solution. Always put sunscreen on exposed parts of the body when in the sun. Wear a hat and sunglasses. Wear clothing like a long sleeve shirt to cover the arms and torso.

For more information on the symptoms of skin cancer visit http://symptomsofskincancer.net.