Skin Cancer: Symptoms, Complications, and Treatment

Contents

In this article, we will look at:

• What is Skin cancer?
• How does Skin cancer occur?
• Who is prone to Skin cancer?
• Symptoms of Skin cancer
• Diagnosis of Skin cancer
• Complications of a Skin cancer
• Treatment for skin cancer

You can click the above headings to navigate to any section of your choice.

What is Skin cancer?

Skin cancer occurs due to the destructive cells that grow under the skin. These cells come from the epidermis cells. However, most skin cancers do not spread to other aspects of the body.

Usually, skin cancer happens when the bodily functions fail to repair the DNA damage in the skin cells. It leads to uncontrollable division of the cells inside the body. The damage to the DNA can be due to skin type, genetics, and many other factors. Many skin cancers occur when the skin gets overexposure to the sunrays. In appearance, the disease may appear as a lesion, an unhealed wound, a bump, or dark spot on the surface of the skin.

Skin cancer types depend on the damaged cells. However, skin cancer has three main types:

Squamous cell carcinoma: they are mostly flat and thin cells that look like fish cells under the microscope. It usually occurs in the skin surface, respiratory tract, digestive tract, and the organ lining.

Basal cell carcinoma: It is the most common type of skin cancer that comes in the form of sore in the skin. It starts to bleed in the later stages. It usually occurs in the exposed surface.

Melanoma: The most dangerous of all, this type of skin cancer can be life-threatening if it is not diagnosed early.

How does skin cancer occur?

Skin cancer occurs due to the damage to the skin. Due to the damaged cells, the skin shows unhealed wound or a bump. It indicates the uncontrollable division of cells under the skin. These cells have a longer life cycle as compared to the normal ones.

Skin cancer occurs in the following stages:

Stage 0: at the first stage, the cancer cells are called as the epidermis. Doctors treat the disease at this stage by surgery.

Stage 1: Skin cancer starts to grow deeper. However, they do not spread to other parts at this stage.

Stage 2: At this stage, the cancer cells show risky features, but have still not reached the lymph nodes.

Stage 3: At this stage, the cells have developed and reached the lymph nodes, but they are still away from the organs.

Stage 4: At this stage, the cancer cells begin to spread to the other parts of the body such as the brain, lungs, and distant organs that becomes life-threatening.

Skin cancer is not a contagious disease. However, long exposure to UV rays can cause damage to the skin cells.

Who is prone to skin cancer?

You are prone to skin cancer if you:

• Have a fair skin.
• Are prone to sunburn.
• Spend too much time in the sun.
• Use a tanning bed.
• Are affected by a blistering sunburn
• Have blond or red hair
• Are exposed to toxic material
• Are undergoing Radiotherapy
• Have a family history of skin cancer, specifically Melanoma

What are the symptoms of skin cancer? How is skin cancer diagnosed?

Symptoms

• The symptoms of skin cancer include:
• Bump on the skin (red, shiny pink, or translucent).
• Lesions or pink skin.
• A non-painful reddish patch of skin.
• The waxy, yellow, or white area on the skin.
• Scaly red patches that bleed.
• Open sore.
• Rough surface.

Diagnosis

Doctors usually examine the skin for diagnosis. Professionals go for a biopsy to confirm the type of Skin cancer in the skin of the individual. In this, the area is numbed using lidocaine or some other anaesthetic and examined under a microscope.

What are the complications of skin cancer?

Possible complications of skin cancer are:

• The occurrence of an abnormal spot on the skin.
• Changes in a lesion of the skin.
• The occurrence of the unhealed sore.
• Lymphedema.
• Recurrence.
• Anxiety and Depression.

What is the treatment for skin cancer?

In most cases, doctors provide certain creams or gels that produce interferon and stimulate the immune system. Doctors use electrodesiccation and curettage treatment to kill the cancer cells in other cases. They also use the procedures such as surgical excision, Mohs micrographic surgery, and Radiation therapy.