Skin cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancerous) cells form in the tissues of the skin. It is the most common cancer in the United States.
The skin is the body's largest organ. It performs a few different roles:
- It protects the body against heat, sunlight, injury, and infection
- It helps control body temperature
- It stores water, fat, and vitamin D.
The skin has several layers, but the two main layers are the epidermis (upper, or outer layer) and the dermis (lower, or inner layer).
Skin cancer begins in the epidermis, which is made up of three kinds of cells, including:
- Squamous cells: Thin, flat cells that form the top layer of the epidermis.
- Basal cells: Round cells that are under the squamous cells.
- Melanocytes: Found in the lower part of the epidermis, these cells make melanin, the pigment that gives skin its natural color. When skin is exposed to the sun, melanocytes make more pigment, causing the skin to tan, or darken.
The three most common types of skin cancer are:
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer, and melanoma is the least common type.
Most basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers can be cured, but people with these types of skin cancer have a higher risk for developing other skin cancers. Melanoma causes about 75 percent of skin cancer-related deaths in the United States.
Skin cancer risk factors include:
- Being exposed to a lot of natural or artificial sunlight
- Having scars or burns on the skin
- Being exposed to arsenic
- Having chronic skin inflammation or skin ulcers
- Being treated with radiation
- Taking immunosuppressive drugs (for example, after an organ transplant)
- Having actinic keratosis
- Having a fair complexion (blond or red hair, fair skin, green or blue eyes, history of freckling).
Not all changes in the skin are a sign of skin cancer, but a doctor should be consulted if changes in the skin are seen.
Possible symptoms of skin cancer include:
- A sore that does not heal
- A rough, red, pink, or brown, raised, scaly patch on the skin
- Cracking or peeling of the lower lip that is not helped by lip balm or petroleum jelly.
Other possible symptoms include areas of the skin that are:
- Small, raised, smooth, shiny, and waxy
- Small, raised, and red or reddish-brown
- Flat, rough, red or brown, and scaly
- Scaly, bleeding, or crusty
- Similar to a scar and firm to the touch.
Tests or procedures that examine the skin are used to detect (find) and diagnose skin cancer. Common tests and procedures include:
In a skin examination, the doctor or nurse will check the skin for bumps or spots that look abnormal in color, size, shape, or texture.
Biopsy
In a biopsy, all or part of the abnormal-looking growth is cut from the skin and viewed under a microscope by a pathologist (a doctor who studies diseases) to see if cancer cells are present. There are three main types of skin biopsies:
- Shave biopsy: A sterile razor blade is used to shave off the abnormal-looking growth
- Excisional biopsy: A scalpel is used to remove the entire growth
- Punch biopsy: A special instrument called a punch or a trephine is used to remove a circle of tissue from the abnormal-looking growth.
Current Treatment for Skin Cancer
Most
skin cancer treatment currently involves some kind of surgery. In most cases, skin cancer is removed completely during biopsy with no further treatment required. Most nonmelanoma skin cancers are curable, but people who have had skin cancer have a higher-than-average risk of developing another skin cancer.
The best way to prevent skin cancer is to protect yourself from the sun. Doctors suggest that people of all ages limit their time in the sun and avoid other sources of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Recommendations for
skin cancer prevention include:
- It is best to stay out of the midday sun (from mid-morning to late afternoon) whenever you can. You should also protect yourself from UV radiation reflected by sand, water, snow, and ice. UV radiation can go through light clothing, windshields, windows, and clouds.
- Wear long sleeves and long pants made of tightly woven fabrics, a hat with a wide brim, and sunglasses that absorb UV radiation.
- Use sunscreen lotions. Sunscreen may help prevent skin cancer, especially broad-spectrum sunscreen (to filter UVB and UVA rays) with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. However, it is still important to avoid the sun and wear clothing to protect your skin.
- Stay away from sunlamps and tanning booths.
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