Skin Cancers essays

Skin Cancers essays There are three different types of skin cancer which consist of melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. Melanoma is a cancer in the pigment-producing cells in the skin. Melanoma is the eighth most common cancer in the United States and causes 1-2% of all cancer deaths. The way to decrease your chance of developing melanoma is to recognize if you are at risk. Ways that you can tell if you are at risk is if you have a mole thats changing, having a mole that is more than 15cm in diameter and has been present since birth, white raced, a prior skin cancer, a close family member with melanoma, using a tanning bed ten times a year or more before age 30, more than 50 moles on your body, and the tendency to burn and freckle instead of tan. These are some different ways to prevent melanoma always use sunscreen with at least an SPF of 15 whenever in the sun and if you recognize any risk factors talk to a doctor. Treatment of melanoma starts with excision of the lesion also taking at least a 1 cm border of healthy tissue around it. To make sure the cancer hasn't spread to other areas of the body, a chest x-ray is taken and a lab test checking the liver is also done. Depending on several factors, sometimes lymph nodes in the area are removed and examined to see if they contain cancerous cells. The best treatment is to remove the cancerous tissue if possible. Sometimes, chemotherapy is used along with removal. Radiation therapy is generally not helpful. Basal cell carcinoma arises in cells called basal keratinocytes in the deepest layer of the epidermis hair follicles, and sweat ducts. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer. It occurs more often in men than in women. Most basal cell carcinoma is seen after the age of 40, but those seen in patients who are younger than 35 tend to be more aggressive. Some common risk factors for basal cell carcinoma include chronic sun exposure mainly to UVB radiation bu...