Today, there is a better understanding of the several diseases that exist in our World. There is a realization that it can happen to anyone. “One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime,” according to the Skin Cancer Foundation (2015). Skin cancer can develop into a serious problem, so being educated about it is very important. It’s important to know the three main types of skin cancer and the treatments available for them. The more an individual knows about these skin cancers and identifying them early, the more the individual has a chance of survival. If it is caught in time, the people who have skin cancer, may even have a chance of beating it completely.
In order for us to understand what skin cancer is, one …show more content…
The first and most frequent type of skin cancer, is known as basal cell carcinoma, or BCC. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation (2015), this is actually the most common type of cancer. There has been 2.8 million cases of people who have been diagnosed with skin cancer in the United States alone, in 2010 and this number only climbs every year (Skin Cancer Foundation, 2015). Basal cell carcinoma is nothing more than the basal cell growing uncontrollably causing a tumor. This cancer type typically doesn’t metastasize. Usually, BCC stays close to the point of tumor's origin, however, it may still spread to neighboring tissues and systems in rare cases. These cancer cells might have some red patches and look much like an open sore, or a shiny bump. The area might have pink growths, or even scars. BBC's, like most skin cancer, is typically a result of sun exposure (Skin Cancer Foundation, 2015). Basal cell carcinoma mostly appears on areas like the neck, head, and the arms. However, BCC can appear just about anywhere on the body like the legs, chest area, or even the abdomen. Those who are light in color are most at risk of developing BCC, but there are still cases of people with darker pigmented skin developing BCC. The best bet for basal cell carcinoma is to get an early diagnosis, as well as an early treatment. BCC can cause severe damage to the skin, disfiguration and as stated …show more content…
As the Skin Cancer Foundation (2015) stated, there is "an estimated 700,000 cases of SCC that are diagnosed each year in the US, and between 3,900 and 8,800 people died from the disease in the US in 2012". With that in mind, the cases are still increasing dramatically, up to 200 percent, in the recent decades. Like the BCC, this is the squamous cells that are growing out of control; however it is more likely to spread than BCC. Squamous cell carcinoma often has the look of an open sore, with small scaly red patches with raised growths and might have a depression in the middle. The area might have warts, or bleeding, or even crust over. SCC can be disfiguring, as well as deadly if it goes untreated and is allowed to grow (Skin Cancer Foundation, 2015). Both the Skin Cancer Foundation (2015) and The American Academy of Dermatology (2015) agree that those who have frequent sun exposure are the most at risk for squamous cell carcinoma. The American Academy of Dermatology (2015) more specifically states that people with lighter skin pigmentation are, as mentioned before, more likely at risk for SCC. Darker skin pigmentations are not exempt for obtaining this disease. Like BCC, early detection and treatment is key to preventing and stopping SCC from metastasizing throughout the areas throughout
In order for us to understand what skin cancer is, one …show more content…
The first and most frequent type of skin cancer, is known as basal cell carcinoma, or BCC. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation (2015), this is actually the most common type of cancer. There has been 2.8 million cases of people who have been diagnosed with skin cancer in the United States alone, in 2010 and this number only climbs every year (Skin Cancer Foundation, 2015). Basal cell carcinoma is nothing more than the basal cell growing uncontrollably causing a tumor. This cancer type typically doesn’t metastasize. Usually, BCC stays close to the point of tumor's origin, however, it may still spread to neighboring tissues and systems in rare cases. These cancer cells might have some red patches and look much like an open sore, or a shiny bump. The area might have pink growths, or even scars. BBC's, like most skin cancer, is typically a result of sun exposure (Skin Cancer Foundation, 2015). Basal cell carcinoma mostly appears on areas like the neck, head, and the arms. However, BCC can appear just about anywhere on the body like the legs, chest area, or even the abdomen. Those who are light in color are most at risk of developing BCC, but there are still cases of people with darker pigmented skin developing BCC. The best bet for basal cell carcinoma is to get an early diagnosis, as well as an early treatment. BCC can cause severe damage to the skin, disfiguration and as stated …show more content…
As the Skin Cancer Foundation (2015) stated, there is "an estimated 700,000 cases of SCC that are diagnosed each year in the US, and between 3,900 and 8,800 people died from the disease in the US in 2012". With that in mind, the cases are still increasing dramatically, up to 200 percent, in the recent decades. Like the BCC, this is the squamous cells that are growing out of control; however it is more likely to spread than BCC. Squamous cell carcinoma often has the look of an open sore, with small scaly red patches with raised growths and might have a depression in the middle. The area might have warts, or bleeding, or even crust over. SCC can be disfiguring, as well as deadly if it goes untreated and is allowed to grow (Skin Cancer Foundation, 2015). Both the Skin Cancer Foundation (2015) and The American Academy of Dermatology (2015) agree that those who have frequent sun exposure are the most at risk for squamous cell carcinoma. The American Academy of Dermatology (2015) more specifically states that people with lighter skin pigmentation are, as mentioned before, more likely at risk for SCC. Darker skin pigmentations are not exempt for obtaining this disease. Like BCC, early detection and treatment is key to preventing and stopping SCC from metastasizing throughout the areas throughout