Not all Skin cancers are ideal, and they may not cause many symptoms. Still, unusual changes to your skin can be a sign for the different types of cancer. Being alert for any change to your skin may help you get a diagnosis earlier.
Symptoms:
Skin lesions: A new mole, unusual growth, bump, sore, scaly patch or dark spot develops & doesn’t go away.
Asymmetry: The two halves of the lesion or mole aren’t even.
Border: The lesions have ragged uneven edges.
Colour: The spot has a different colour, such as white, pink, black, blue, or red.
Diameter: The spot is larger than one-quarter inch.
Evolving: You can detect that the mole is changing size, colour, or shape.
Causes of skin cancer
Any types of skin cancer occur when variations develop in the DNA of your skin cells. These variations cause skin cells to grow uncontrollably and form a mass of cancer cells.
Basal cell skin cancer is caused by ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun or tanning beds. UV rays can damage the DNA inside your skin cells, causing abnormal cell growth. Squamous cell skin cancer is also caused by UV exposure.
Squamous cell skin cancer can also develop after long-term subjection to cancer-causing chemicals. It can develop within a burn scar or ulcer, and may also be caused by some types of human papillomavirus (HPV).
The cause of melanoma is blurred. Not all moles turn into melanomas, the researchers aren’t sure why some do. Like basal and squamous cell skin cancers, it can be caused by UV rays. But melanomas can develop in parts of body that aren’t typically exposed to sunlight.
Treatments for skin cancer
Your recommended treatment plan will depend on different factors, like the size, location, type, and stage of your skin cancer. After considering these factors, your healthcare team may recommend one or more of the following treatments:
Cryotherapy: The growth is frozen using liquid nitrogen and the tissue is ruin as it thaws.
Excisional surgery: The growth and some of the healthy skin surrounding it are cut out.
Mohs surgery: The growth is removed layer by layer, and each layer is examined under a microscope until no abnormal cells are visible.
Curettage & electrodessication: A long spoon-shaped blade is used to scrape away the cancer cells, and the remaining cancer cells are burned using an electric needle.
Chemotherapy: Drugs are taken orally, applied topically or injected with a needle or IV line to kill the cancer cells.
Photodynamic therapy: A laser light and drugs are used to destroy cancer cells.
Radiation: High-powered energy beams are used to kill cancer cells.
Biological therapy: Biological treatments are used to stimulate your immune system to fight cancer cells.
Immunotherapy: A cream is applied to your skin to stimulate your immune system to kill the cancer cells.
