Here is a brief rundown on each type of skin cancer. They are all on the rise (and the most common of all cancers) thanks everything from the invention of tanning beds to global warming, which has depleted the upper atmosphere’s protective ozone layer. Luckily, a diagnosis of any of these can be treated successfully when found and diagnosed early.
Basal cell carcinoma-the most common and least dangeroHs
• Typically found on the neck and face, especially the nose.
• What to look for: A persistent, nonhealing sore is a very common sign of an early basal cell carcinoma. Other signs include a reddish patch or irritated area, a shiny bump, a pink growth, or a scarlike spot that is white,
yellow or waxy.
• Detected early, most can be treated easily and are not life threatening. Squamous cell carcinoma-less common but also very treatable
• Can be triggered by both sunlight and bad burns, such as those from scalding water or a fireplace burn.
• Typically found on the head and neck; may also appear in old scars.
• What to look for: actinic keratoses, or sun-induced precancerous spots. Squamous cell spots are thick, rough, horny, and shallow when they develop. You may find that the epidermis is not intact, as there will be a raised border and a crusted surface over a raised,’ pebbly, granular base. Any bump or open sore in areas of chronic inflammarory skin lesions could also be a sign of this type of cancer.
• Seen two to three rimes more often in men than in women.
• Most can be treated with little risk of spreading. Melanoma-the rarest and most life threatening • Melanomas are black, irregular, asymmetric, growing, and have a rough border. They are especially common on women’s legs-it’s the second most common cancer in women ages twenty to twenty-nine. Risk rises if a parent or sibling has had it.
• Among African-Americans and some other ethnic groups, most likely to appear in non-sun-exposed areas: on the palms, sales of the feet, mucous membranes, and under fingernails and toenails. (Bob Marley died of melanoma that started on the sale of his foot and spread to his brain.) Melanomas can also form in the eye and the gut.
• If it’s detected and treated early, the five-year survival rate is 99 percent. If it’s allowed to spread to other places in the body, the survival rate decreases rapidly. My bottom line: When in doubt, get it checked out. I advise that people start getting annual checks from a qualified dermatologist at age eighteen.
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