Cancer has been a disease that has manifested itself to be one of the scariest diseases of the century. Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer that affects people in the country. It can develop on any part of the skin such as the epidermis, dermis, and subcutis. In the advanced stages, it can spread to nearby tissues and organs.
If you check out photos of skin cancer, you can distinguish between the different types of cancer.
According to a study, 50% of the population in the country develops either BCC or SCC at least once in their lifetime. Every year in the country, around 3.5 million cases of BCC and SCC are diagnosed. In the year 2014, approximately 76,000 cases of melanoma were diagnosed in the country.
Basal Cell Carcinoma develops on the back, neck, hands, arms, scalp, and face of a person. This is because these areas of the body get exposed to the sun. Squamous Cell Carcinoma also appears mostly in those parts of the body that are exposed to the sun. However, both BCC and SCC can also develop on areas that are not exposed to sunlight such as inside the mouth and on the genitals.
Melanoma is a serious and dangerous type of cancer. If you look at the skin cancer photos, you can see that melanoma can look like a regular mole when it develops on the skin. Compared to BCC or SCC, melanoma affects a lesser number of people. However, it is deadly cancer that affects men more than women.
The third type of cancer that develops in the skin is actinic keratosis (AK). When skin is exposed frequently to the sun, it is damaged by the ultraviolet rays. As a result, dry, rough and scaly patches develop on the skin. This cancerous condition known as actinic keratosis is not as common as melanoma or keratinocyte cancer. More than 58 million people in the United States have AK. The chances for getting cancer of the skin increase with age. 50% people in the country develop keratinocyte cancer by the time they are 65 years old.
Men who are over 50 years old have a greater chance of being diagnosed with BCC or SCC. The most common type of cancer in those aged between 25 and 29 is melanoma. People whose skin is exposed to the UV rays of the sun for a long time have a greater chance of being diagnosed with skin cancer.
The common risk factors are as follows:
The common symptoms are as follows:
You must book an appointment if you find any of these symptoms. You can check out pictures of skin cancer for understanding the symptoms better.
When you follow a few basic preventive measures, the risk of getting affected by skin cancer is considerably reduced.
Avoid the sun especially when the UV rays are powerful. Before you go out in the sun, apply a sunscreen on your skin.
Treatment for skin cancer
Cryosurgery, surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, and photodynamic therapy are the common methods of treatment. The treatment for skin cancer is successful if cancer has not spread.