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