10 Important Things Everyone Should Know About Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is caused when your DNA becomes damaged and the cells don't repair themselves. Instead, the cells just start dividing at an uncontrollable rate and the cancer begins to grow. Once the cells have developed rapidly, it's almost as if they pile on top of each other to form a tumor. This makes skin cancer easy to detect since it's on the surface of the skin. This is when it will usually appear as an odd looking mole or what appears to look like some form of tumor. This is just one of the main points of skin cancer, but there are nine other points you will want to know too.

2) Out of all the diagnoses that are made every year, there are three categories of skin cancer that have been identified. These categories are Basal cell carcinoma, Squamous cell carcinoma, and Melanoma. According to Skincancer.org, out of all the cases of skin cancer that are diagnosed, Basal cell carcinoma accounts for 80 percent of those.

3) These basal cell carcinomas are easily detected because they commonly appear where the body may be exposed to the sun. According to genome.gov, this could be on the arms, the legs, even your back if you lay out in the sun with a swimsuit, and of course the scalp. The scalp is where you might see a large rounded, waxy tumor like growth. This is definitely something that can be annoying too because many patients detect it when they are brushing their hair, or if they are scratching their head it's easily noticeable. These tumors will usually take time to grow, so they can reach their full potential over many years, but as with any disease or condition early detection is everything.

4) The second most common is the Squamous cell carcinoma. Although this is the second most common type of skin cancer, it only accounts for 16 percent of skin cancer diagnosed. This tends to affect those who are fair skinned and are out in the sun quite a bit. If you are bald, or have very fine hair be cautious of how much time you are spending in direct sunlight. This is easily detected because it usually will be scaly in appearance, or maybe even red and inflamed. Be careful of scratching the affected area because it may worsen the area. These carcinomas can show up anywhere on the body, so every once in awhile it might be wise to check yourself out. This type of skin cancer needs to be detected early because it can grow at a very rapid pace.

5) Melanomas only make up about 4% of all skin cancer as it is the rarest. This is truly a deadly cancer if not caught early because it can spread into the lymph nodes. Once the lymph nodes are affected things get tricky. As with any cancer, the lymph nodes are removed once it spreads and this is dangerous because lymph nodes are what help fight infection. It has been estimated that a person dies every hour from a melanoma. So how does this happen?

6) With any skin cancer being in the sun is a huge factor. According to healingdaily.com exposure to sunlight in excess can be a problem, so if you work outdoors take precaution and use a high level of sunscreen to protect yourself. Melanomas especially can attack quickly, so be prepared. Ultraviolet rays are also a culprit, so using tanning beds isn't wise.

7) Some researchers also have a theory that being in chlorinated water increases the risk for melanomas. This could mean whether the water you bathe in, or if you are doing a lot of swimming in pools, this can put you at a higher risk.

8) According to umm.edu, there is some clinical evidence that getting plenty of fatty acids in your diet may inhibit skin cancer growth as well as other diseases. Your body needs them but doesn't make these on its own. Omega 3's are something that we would get through our diets by eating fresh caught fish and fresh eggs.

9) Read up on some information on topicalinfo.com, and you will gain a wealth of knowledge on a little known natural topical treatment. This topical ointment is called Cymilium, and has been used to treat mosquito bites. The ingredients believe to provide the healing properties are pancreatin, aloe vera and stearic acid. Stearic acid is another fatty acid, but absorbed topically it can have great affects just as it would if you were to eat a lot of salmon or eggs full of Omega 3's. There are some pictures taken on this site so see for yourself.

10) Last but not least, the most important factor in dealing with skin cancer is early detection. The earlier you spot the warning signs and symptoms the faster you can find an answer to get it healed and out of your life.