About Different Types of Skin Cancers

Skin cancer occurs when skin cells mutate. Often, this is the result of harmful sun exposure. However, that is not always the case, and skin cancer can sometimes form on parts of the body that are typically not exposed to sunlight. The most commonly diagnosed skin cancers are melanoma, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

Types

• Basal cell carcinoma is the most common and curable type of skin cancer as well as the one that spreads the least. It appears a pearly looking bump on the face, ears, or neck area. In some cases, it causes a flat lesion that looks like a scar on the chest or back area. It is typically flesh-colored or brown.
  Squamous cell carcinoma can also be treated if detected early, but it spreads more often than basal cell carcinoma. It is marked by a red nodule on the face, ears, neck or lip. The nodule is firm. It can also appear on the hands or arms. In some cases, this type of skin cancer appears as a flat lesion that is crusty and scaly.

Warning

• Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer, and it causes the most deaths. It can show up on any part of the body and often appears on either normal skin or in a mole that develops into a malignancy. It is most commonly seen on the trunk, head and neck region in men.
  For women, it is most common on the arms or legs. It signs include a large spot with darker speckles, moles that change in appearance or bleed, lesions with irregular borders and strangely colored spots. It can also appear as dome-shaped bumps that are both shiny and firm as well as dark lesions on the feet, hands, vagina, or anus.
  The lesions can also form on the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose. Asthis type of cancer can be fatal, stay alert for its signs and contact your doctor immediately if you notice anything suspicious.

Considerations

• There are also other forms of skin cancer, though they are less common. Kaposi's sarcoma, for example, starts in blood vessels. It is a very serious type of cancer that is most often seen in people with weakened immune systems.
  Merkel cell carcinoma is another type of cancer that causes firm nodules to appear right below the skin or in the hair roots. This type of cancer grows rapidly and can spread to other parts of the body after typically beginning on the head and neck or extremities.
  Sebaceous gland carcinoma is very uncommon but highly aggressive. It starts in the skin's oil glands, showing up as painless nodules on any part of the body. Often, it show ups on the eyelids, where it is mistakenly dismissed as a harmless condition.

Misconceptions

• Some people believe that those with darker skin don't have to worry about skin cancer. In fact, everyone is at risk. While darker-skinned people do have more melanin, which translates into more protection from the sun, people of any race or ethnicity can develop skin cancer. For this reason, it is important to wear sunscreen, and check your body for signs of cancer on a regular basis, no matter what your skin tone.

Considerations

• Today, doctors are seeing more and more cases of skin cancer. However, many cases can be prevented by avoiding ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure or at least limiting it. Sunlight emits both UVA and UVB rays, which both contribute to skin cancer. Full-spectrum sunscreen protects against both types of UV rays. Additionally, skin cancer can be prevented or at least caught early by paying close attention to any changes on your skin.