| Skin Cancer information including symptoms, | | | | vessels can be seen within the tumor. Crusting and |
| diagnosis, misdiagnosis, treatment, causes Skin cancer | | | | bleeding in the center of the tumor frequently |
| is a malignant growth on the skin which can have | | | | develops. It is often mistaken for a sore that does |
| many causes. Skin cancer generally develops in the | | | | not heal. * Squamous cell carcinoma is commonly a |
| epidermis (the outermost layer of skin), so a tumor is | | | | red, scaling, thickened patch on sun-exposed skin. |
| usually clearly visible. This makes most skin cancers | | | | Ulceration and bleeding may occur. When SCC is not |
| detectable in the early stages. There are three | | | | treated, it may develop into a large mass.Skin Cancer |
| common types of skin cancer, each of which is | | | | TreatmentMost skin cancers can be treated by |
| named after the type of skin cell from which it arises. | | | | removal of the lesion, making sure that the edges |
| The two most common types are basal cell cancer | | | | (margins) are free of the tumor cells. These excisions |
| and squamous cell cancer. It accounts for more than | | | | provide the best cure for both early and high-risk |
| 75 percent of all skin cancers. Squamous cell | | | | disease.For low-risk disease, radiation therapy and |
| carcinomas arise from the upper levels of the | | | | cryotherapy (freezing the cancer off) can provide |
| epidermis, usually on places that have been exposed | | | | adequate control of the disease; both, however, |
| to the sun. Squamous cell carcinoma also can spread | | | | have lower overall cure rates than surgery.Most skin |
| internally. They account for about 20 percent of skin | | | | cancers are removed surgically, by a plastic surgeon |
| cancers in the United States.Melanoma is generally the | | | | or a dermatologist. If the cancer is small, the |
| most serious form of skin cancer because it tends to | | | | procedure can be done quickly and easily, in an |
| spread (metastasize) throughout the body | | | | outpatient facility or the physician's office, using local |
| quickly.Signs and symptomsThere are a variety of | | | | anesthesia. The procedure may be a simple excision, |
| different skin cancer symptoms. These include crabs | | | | which usually leaves a thin, barely visible scar. Or |
| or changes in the skin that do not heal, ulcers in the | | | | curettage and desiccation may be performed. In this |
| skin, discoloration, and changes in existing moles. * | | | | procedure the cancer is scraped out with an electric |
| Basal cell carcinoma usually looks like a raised, | | | | current to control bleeding and kill any remaining |
| smooth, pearly bump on the sun-exposed skin of the | | | | cancer cells. |
| head, neck or shoulders. Sometimes small blood | | | | |