Tuesday, June 23, 2009

General Description of Skin Cancer



The Basics:

Skin cancer is a malignant growth on the skin which can have many causes. The most common skin cancers are basal cell cancer, squamous cell cancer, and melanoma. 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 and likely types of skin cancer, each of which is named after the type of skin cell from which it arises.


Different types of skin cancer:

Unlike many other cancers, including those originating in the lung, pancreas, and stomach, only a small minority of those afflicted will actually die of the disease. Skin cancer represents the most commonly diagnosed cancer, surpassing lung, breast, colorectal and prostate cancer. Melanoma is less common than basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, but it is the most serious -- for example, in the UK there are 9,500 new cases of melanoma each year, and 2,300 deaths. More people now die of melanoma in the UK than in Australia.


Important facts:

It is the most common cancer in the young population (20 – 39 age group). It is estimated that approximately 85% of cases are caused by too much sun. Non-melanoma skin cancers are the most common skin cancers. The majority of these are called basal cell carcinomas. These are usually localized growths caused by excessive cumulative exposure to the sun and do not tend to spread.

Source: Wikipedia


Click on this link for the Derma Network where you can learn more about skin cancer and and how tanning beds play a role in this condition of the body:

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