The number of skin cancer cases has doubled in the last 20 years and there are over 73,000 new cases of skin cancer reported each year in the UK, of which 8,000 are malignant melanoma.
There are three main types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma , and malignant melanoma. Malignant melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer because the cancer can spread to other organs in the body (metastasis). Melanoma skin cancer is usually pigmented or coloured and is more dangerous. Many moles aren't cancerous, but it's vital to keep an eye on them.
Early discovery of skin cancer means a very good chance of curing it, whilst late discovery means treatment is usually not able to cure it. About 1,800 people die from skin cancer each year. There are a range of treatments available including surgical removal, chemotherapy, radiotherapy or biological therapy, depending on the type of skin cancer.
Malignant melanoma is more common in women than men, is one of the most common cancers in people aged 20 to 35 and affects people who work indoors more than those who work outside. Non-melanoma skin cancer affects men more than women, as well as older people, particularly those who have spent much time working outdoors. Too much sun exposure and getting sunburnt in childhood and the teenage years can lead to skin cancer in later life, so children in particular must be protected.
Those most at risk of skin cancer are people with light or fair skin, freckles, who burn lobster red in the sun, already have moles and/or spend too long in the sun without protection. Brown- or black-skinned people rarely get skin cancer, but everyone should be careful. There are some rare, inherited skin diseases that make people highly sensitive to sunlight and much more likely to get any type of skin cancer.
In order to tell whether a suspicious skin condition is skin cancer or not you'll probably require a biopsy. If cancerous, it'll be removed by surgery or radiotherapy, depending on its size and type.
UVB is known to cause sunburn and skin cancer, so sun creams were originally designed to block out only the UVB. We now know that UVA can also cause skin cancer and, these days, some sun creams block out a lot of UVA as well as UVB.
The real issue though is that sun creams make people think that they can stay out in the sun for extended periods of time, thereby increasing their risk of skin cancer regardless of the protection.
There are three main types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma , and malignant melanoma. Malignant melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer because the cancer can spread to other organs in the body (metastasis). Melanoma skin cancer is usually pigmented or coloured and is more dangerous. Many moles aren't cancerous, but it's vital to keep an eye on them.
Early discovery of skin cancer means a very good chance of curing it, whilst late discovery means treatment is usually not able to cure it. About 1,800 people die from skin cancer each year. There are a range of treatments available including surgical removal, chemotherapy, radiotherapy or biological therapy, depending on the type of skin cancer.
Malignant melanoma is more common in women than men, is one of the most common cancers in people aged 20 to 35 and affects people who work indoors more than those who work outside. Non-melanoma skin cancer affects men more than women, as well as older people, particularly those who have spent much time working outdoors. Too much sun exposure and getting sunburnt in childhood and the teenage years can lead to skin cancer in later life, so children in particular must be protected.
Those most at risk of skin cancer are people with light or fair skin, freckles, who burn lobster red in the sun, already have moles and/or spend too long in the sun without protection. Brown- or black-skinned people rarely get skin cancer, but everyone should be careful. There are some rare, inherited skin diseases that make people highly sensitive to sunlight and much more likely to get any type of skin cancer.
In order to tell whether a suspicious skin condition is skin cancer or not you'll probably require a biopsy. If cancerous, it'll be removed by surgery or radiotherapy, depending on its size and type.
UVB is known to cause sunburn and skin cancer, so sun creams were originally designed to block out only the UVB. We now know that UVA can also cause skin cancer and, these days, some sun creams block out a lot of UVA as well as UVB.
The real issue though is that sun creams make people think that they can stay out in the sun for extended periods of time, thereby increasing their risk of skin cancer regardless of the protection.
About the Author:
William is a Party Wall Surveyor, and deals with Party Wall Surveys. In his spare time he enjoys fitness and weight training. He has an interest in skin cancer since he is fair skinned and his father had it several years ago.
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