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Skin Cancer - Causes and Treatment

Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in humans. It occurs when skin cells are damaged. A skin cancer can be detectable in its early stages. Skin cancer is common in the United States, Great Britain and Australia.

Skin cancer can be classified into 3 types:

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Squamous Cell Carcinoma is the second most common of the skin cancers. This type of skin cancer occurs in mouth, lips, lungs, skin, prostate, urinary bladder etc.

Basal Cell Carcinoma

Basal Cell Carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer. It may be caused due to family history of the disease or exposure to Ultraviolet rays thru sunlight. It is characterized by bleeding or scabbing sores.

Melanoma

Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer. Melanoma may be caused because of hereditary or excessive exposure to sunlight. The symptoms of Melanoma are unusual shape (greater than 5mm), unusual color or unusual sized moles.

Treatment for Skin Cancer

Most often skin cancer is treated by excision of the skin lesion, including the surrounding tissue or edges if found to be affected. Skin cancer may be treated by cryotherapy (cooling off the cancer cells), radio therapy (use of high energy radiations to kill cancer cells) or cautery (burning tissues or coagulate blood). If the disease is found to be in severe condition or has spread extensively, a surgery or chemotherapy (treatment thru chemically synthesized drugs) may be required. The treatment may differ according to the skin condition and severity. A qualified Doctor will be able to provide the effective treatment after diagnosing it.