Cancer. Is there any more devastating word? How stupid would you feel if you were diagnosed with it and found out you could have prevented it. In this case, we are talking skin cancer.
You wake up one morning and your shoulder is sore and there is a drop of blood on your pillow. You look in the mirror and see a blemish oozing. The diagnosis is skin cancer.
What are your first thoughts? Am I going to die? Is it terminal? Can something that small really be a problem? Just what are we talking about here?
A diagnosis of cancer carries a certain lotto factor. Getting cancer is bad enough, but the type of cancer is critical to your ultimate outcome. Fortunately, skin cancer is both treatable and preventable.
So, just what are we talking about when we say skin cancer? In the most basic terms, it is an unnatural growth in the layers of the skin. The growth typically occurs in the epidermis.
If you like to go out in the sun, you are probably already aware of the risks. That being said, it is important to understand that a good tan does not lower your risk. Also, short periods of exposure can be just as deadly if you burn.
“Skin cancer” is actual a global term for a health risk that can be caused by a number of problems. That is to say, you don’t get skin cancer per se. You get one of the following.
If you are particularly unlucky, you will be diagnosed with Malignant melanoma. It is a killer. If not treated early, it will spread and is fatal. Fortunately, it is the least common diagnosis.
Basal carcinoma is by far the most common form of skin cancer people are diagnosed with. Happily, it is treatable. Only a very small percentage of cases result in fatality.
Squamous cell can be a nasty form of skin cancer, but it can also be caused by things other than the sun. It is found on both the skin and internal organs. The skin version is treatable, but it can spread and be deadly
Any cancer diagnosis is obviously a bad thing. The ironic and sad fact of skin cancer is you can reduce your risk to practically zero. You just need to take common sense steps.
Laziness. It is the biggest factor in skin cancer episodes. Skin cancer is a result of exposure to the sun. If you take the steps to limit the damage of that exposure, you can cut your risk of skin cancer to next to nothing.
Should you avoid being outside. Nope. All you have to do is take precautionary steps. First and foremost, wear sunscreen! How hard is that? It will protect you from the damaging rays of the sun and the potential of skin cancer.
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