Types of Skin Cancer and How to Identify Problems Early

Skin cancer is one of the more common types of cancer and the biggest contributing factor for skin cancer is prolonged exposure to the sun's rays. Chronic exposure to ultraviolet light can cause the cells to grow and over time develop into skin cancer. There are basically three types of skin cancer, basal cell, squamous cell and melanoma.

Basal cell is the most common form of skin cancer, it involves the epidermis or the outer layer of the skin. Basal cell skin cancer often looks like a tiny red ulceration on the skin's surface and my itch or crust which can cause it to bleed. Basal cell usually appears on the parts of the body that get the most exposure to the sun such as the face or arms. Although this cancer is the most common and the easiest to treat, if left untreated it can leave the person disfigured.

Squamous cell starts in the epidermis but grows at rapid rate more so than its counterpart basal cell. Squamous cell usually appears similar to fish scales area, it is commonly flat and be hard and patchy in appearance. Squamous cell just as basal cell often appears first on the body parts that get the most exposure to the sun's harmful rays. However when left untreated it rapidly can spread to many other areas of the body and can be much harder to treat and recover from.

Melanoma is a very serious and dangerous form of skin cancer that begins when the process of cell division goes awry in the melanocytes, the melanocytes produce melanin or the pigment in the skin. Melanoma is usually characterized by large, brown or black mole like appearance and can develop virtually anywhere on the body including the chest, back or legs.

Although melanoma looks much like a common mole melanomas have a much different appearance in color, and uniformity. They are often larger and irregular in shape. Melanoma is responsible for the vast majority of deaths due to skin cancer. Unfortunately without early treatment melanoma can rapidly spread and metastasize to other parts of the body.If you notice any changes in your skin or any new growths or irregular mole like formations you should contact your physician immediately for proper diagnosis and treatment. Doing a thorough skin exam at least once a month can help notice any changes in your skin and help detect skin cancer early so that proper treatment can be started.

References for this article include: www.umm.edu/skincancer/typesof.htm
www.ehealthmd.com/library/skincancer/sc_types.html
www.medicinenet.com/skin_cancer/article.htm