Taking right measures for skin cancer prevention is important to avoid some serious health conditions that may occur in future. The intense exposure to UV rays and other factors have to be taken care of to decrease the chances of skin cancer.
Skin cancer:
Skin cancer is the unrestrained or disorganized growth of unusual skin cells, which occupy the surrounding tissues and create a disturbance in normal tissue function. Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancers among all the cancers combined.
Types of Skin Cancer:
Some major skin cancer types are as follows-
• Actinic keratosis
This condition is also known as solar keratosis. It is a scaly or crusty skin growth that often appears on the ears, face, lips, forearms, shoulders and other body parts that are frequently exposed to the sun.
• Basal Cell Carcinoma
It happens at the outermost layer of the skin seems like open sores or red patches. This condition occurs due to irregular and uncontrolled lesions in the skin’s basal cells.
• Melanoma
This is the most dangerous skin cancer that develops when un-repaired DNA damages skin cells and multiplies it rapidly, creating malignant tumors.
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• Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC)
SCC is the second most common form of skin cancer that occurs due to the unrestrained growth of abnormal cells in the squamous cells. It often looks like open sores or scaly red patches, which is a skin cancer symptom.
Risk factors for skin cancer:
Everyone who comes in the direct contact of the sun for a long time may find it a little difficult to the desired results of skin cancer prevention at earliest. Not only normal people who take sunbath but also the players or people who work outdoor increase the risk of skin cancer. There are some risk factors that may become skin cancer causes if you leave them unattended. These risk factors include:
• Pale or freckled skin is greatly affected by tanning
• Naturally red or fair hair
• Blue, green or gray eyes
• A large number of moles (50 or more)
• A history of sunburn
• Sensitive skin that develops cancer
• A close family member who has or had skin cancer
Prevention of skin cancer:
Everyone likes the lukewarm condition and the sunlight to uplift their spirits, but in some cases, the sunshine is accepted to be very good for the health of the skin. Skin cancers can be prevented by avoiding the sun in the extreme hours and by paying attention to any early skin changes. In this regard, some preventive measures are necessary to consider.
Explore the shade
During the time 10 AM to 4 PM the sun rays remain strongest that are very harmful to the skin. So, try to avoid venturing out-door during that period.
Wear protective clothing
Always cover up your arms, legs, broad hat and eyes to avoid direct skin exposure to sunlight.
Always apply sunscreen
Never forget to apply thick and an even layer of sunscreen with Sun Protection Factor (SPF) 15 or more than that. Use the sunscreen some 30 minutes before going into the sunlight. After every 2 hours, you can reapply sunscreen, specially after swimming or excessive sweating.
Avoid sun beds
Ignore sun beds or UV tanning beds because the lighting used by these machines is injurious to the skin.
Keep newborn away from UV rays
Always keep away new born babies from direct exposure to sun rays, as it can harm their sensitive skin.
Check your skin
You must check your skin regularly for any freckles, bumps, moles, new growths, etc.
Consult your doctor
In case you detect any changes in the texture of your skin like excessive itching, scabs or bleeds, an open sore, growth of dry scalp etc. then consult your doctor for early treatment.
These skin cancer prevention and safety measures are good; also, the self-examination or self-check is necessary for early diagnosis of skin cancer symptoms. There are different types of treatment for skin cancer and it largely depends on the type and size of cancer, age, health condition of a person, etc.
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Some major skin cancer treatments are:
• Surgery
It happens at an initial level when cancer is not metastasized. In the surgical treatment, the cancerous tissues are removed and skin cancer is prevented easily.
• Cryosurgery
In this therapy, doctor freezes the cancer-affected areas and kills the cancer cells, causing them to slough off.
• Immunotherapy
Under this treatment method, a prescribed cream or gel should be applied to the affected area to kill the cancerous cells.
• Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy uses high-energy rays to target and destroy cancer cells in the affected area. It can be given before or after surgery.
• Chemotherapy
This is the main treatment for fighting different skin cancer types. In this therapy, medication is given through injections or orally to kill cancerous cells.
Conclusion:
Always remember that skin cancer can be successfully treated if it’s detected early. The regular checkups of skin, proper protection, avoiding sunbathes, sunburns and allied activities are helpful to skin cancer prevention. Moreover, you have to understand the allergic and risk factors that can damage your skin. So, try to keep them away before they cause any skin cancer symptoms.
