Skin Cancer Treatment Blog

There are several skin cancer warning signs that you should be aware of and all of them need to be taken seriously until a definite diagnosis is made.  Any growth on the skin that tends to be increasing in size and is pearly, translucent, brownish or multicolored is a signal that skin cancer is present.  Also, a mole, birthmark or any brown spot that shows a change in color, increases in shape or size, has a texture change, is irregularly shaped, is larger than 6mm or appears after age 21 are several other warning signs.  A sore that itches, crusts, scabs, hurts or bleeds is something else to watch out for.  And any sore that does not heal within three weeks is a possible candidate for skin cancer.

Most skin cancers occur in body areas that have been exposed to ultraviolet light from the sun.  The cancerous growths occur more often in light-skinned individuals who have blond or red hair and are blue- or green-eyed.  There are also pre-cancerous conditions known as Actinic Keratoses which need to be identified early so that future problems can ruled out and prevented.

Society today is much more intuitive about health hazards from exposure to the sun.  It is highly recognized that ultraviolet light is harmful and can cause devastating skin cancer.  Individuals today are very cognizant about using sunscreens and tanning beds to lessen the chance of developing skin cancer.  However, previous exposure to the sun while growing up also is an indicator that a person is highly susceptible to getting the disease.  In previous years, the long-term effects of sun exposure were not recognized and people were not careful about protecting themselves or their loved ones when they were outdoors in the sunlight.  Unfortunately, these people have had to deal with getting the disease years later, even if they have been extremely careful to follow an anti-cancer regimen.

There are four main ways to identify a mole or lesion that might be cancerous.  First of all, half the mole is different in shape from the other half.  The border of the mole is irregular and might appear curvy.  The color varies throughout the entire mole.  And, the diameter of the mole is larger than a pencil eraser.

There are many ways to prevent skin cancer and they include:  1.) Avoid sun exposure between the hours of 11am to 2am, 2.)  Always wear sunscreen, 3.) Use an umbrella, sun hat and/or protective clothing, 4.) Use self-tanners, not tanning beds, and 5.) Check your moles on a regular basis.  By following these prevention tips, you may very well avoid having to deal with skin cancer warning signs.

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