Warning Signs Of Skin Cancer

Skin Cancer is the Most Common Type of Cancer

Because of its alarming frequency, it is important to understand about the nature of the disease and recognize its early warning signs.

Skin cancer occurs due to abnormal proliferation of the skin cells. It is of three major types:

1. Squamous cell carcinoma
2. Basal cell carcinoma
3. Melanoma

Squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma are together referred as non-melanoma skin cancer. Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Squamous cell cancer appears like a reddish nodule which is firm in consistency. It is usually found on the face, around the mouth, ears, neck and upper extremities. Sometimes, it may also appear as a flat, scaly patch with a crusty surface. It is most common in people above 50 years of age and is usually a result of excessive exposure to the harmful ultraviolet radiations of the sun.

Squamous cell carcinoma begins as actinic keratosis, a precancerous lesion which may develop into Bowen’s disease, which is cancer in situ. Squamous cell carcinoma is common in light skinned people with a lot of sun exposure. People having blue or green eyes with blonde hair are more susceptible. X- Ray radiation and exposure to chemicals such as Arsenic may also lead to the development of squamous cell carcinoma. Diagnosis is established after a skin biopsy. Almost 95% of patients diagnosed with squamous cell cancer respond well to treatment provided the disease is caught early and treatment is initiated promptly. Otherwise, even though the cancer is slow growing, it may invade other parts of the body.

Basal Cell Carcinoma

According to the American Cancer Society, 75% of all skin cancers are basal cell cancers. It is the slowest growing amongst the three types of skin cancers and rarely spreads beyond its region of origin. It invades the uppermost layer of the skin called as epidermis and usually affects people older than 40 years.

Basal cell cancer is also a result of the harmful ultraviolet radiations of the sun and is usually found in people who spend a lot of time in sun without proper protection. Any skin lesion which bleeds easily or does not heal spontaneously may be basal cell carcinoma. The lesion may be pearly or waxy in appearance and is of slightly different color from the surrounding skin tone.

Basal cell cancer responds well to treatment with less than 1% chance of recurrence after undergoing Moh’s surgery, a treatment where the affected skin is removed until the biopsy is clear of cancer cells. If left untreated, it may slowly invade the surrounding tissues.

Melanoma

It is the most dangerous type of skin cancer which metastasizes early and can be fatal. Almost one American succumbs to melanoma every hour. It is usually found on the face, upper back or back of the neck and arises due to metastatic changes in a simple mole. The mole shows sudden changes in its size and color and develops an irregular border with red, blue, white or black spots which bleed easily.

Early Warning Signs of Skin Cancer

Look out for the changes in your moles which may be a warning of skin cancer

Considering the high incidence and prevalence of skin cancer and the mortality associated with melanomas, it is important to keep a close watch on the moles on your body. Changes in the shape, size or color of the moles may be a warning of skin cancer.

Skin cancers usually start as precancerous lesions. These precancerous lesions arise because of some dysplastic changes in the underlying cells. Two important dysplastic lesions are:

1. Actinic keratosis which can lead to squamous cell carcinoma
2. Dysplastic nevi which can lead to melanoma. Dysplastic nevi are usually more than ¼ inch in size with irregular and notched borders. The surface may be pebbly, and the color may vary from shades of red to tan and dark brown.

A sudden change in shape, size, color or elevation of pre-existing nevi may be an early warning sign of melanoma. There may be sudden appearance of a new mole after the age of 21, or a pre-existing mole may start itching, bleeding, grow rapidly or change in color. People who have many moles, more than 100, are at an increased risk of developing melanoma.

A malignant melanoma is often identified on the basis of “ABCDE Guidelines” for moles.

“A” stands for “Asymmetry”, i.e. one side of the mole does not correspond to the other side.

“B” stands for “Border Irregularity”, i.e. the borders of the mole are irregular. They may be notched.

“C” stands for “Color”, i.e. the mole may have an assortment of colors like, black, brown, tan, blue, red and white.

“D” stands for “Diameter”, i.e. the mole is normally more than ¼ inch or 6 mm in diameter. However, it is important to remember that any change in size may be indicative of melanoma.

“E” stands for “evolving”, i.e. undergoing any change in size, shape color or elevation.

If any mole on your body shows any of the changes mentioned above, you shouldn’t ignore it. You should immediately meet your doctor and undergo tests to diagnose skin cancer.

It is important to understand that though skin cancer can affect any part of the skin, it is mostly seen in sun-exposed parts. So it is essential to take proper precautions whenever you are out in the sun for prolonged period of time. Wearing adequate clothing, using an umbrella or a hat and applying a proper sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor of at least 15 will go a long way in protecting you from the ultraviolet radiations.

Though skin cancer is on a rise, proper awareness about its warning signs can help you protect against it. Squamous and basal skin cancers when caught early, respond very well to treatment with almost 95% success rates. Though malignant melanoma is responsible for 75% of deaths due to skin cancer, it can also be treated if identified early.