It has been a common knowledge that cancer is one of the silent killers in the world. It is a group of diseases which involve the growing of body cells in abnormal ways. The growth also spreads inside the body. Although most people tend to mistake cancer with tumor, not all tumors can turn into cancers. Cancer is a tumor that spreads inside the body. One of the cancers is skin cancer.

What is skin cancer?

Just like cancer in general, skin cancer starts from the growing of abnormal cells, but in the skin. The cells also have the potential to spread to other parts of the body.

There are three types of skin cancer, though. Those three types are:

1. Basal skin cancer or BCC
2. Squamos cell skin cancer or SCC
3. Melanoma

The skin cancer developments:

BCC and SCC are also known as nonmelanoma skin cancers or NMSC. The growth of the cancer cells is slow. Although it damages tissue, BCC is unlikely to spread very quickly to distant parts of the body from the source that will result in death. The symptoms include a swell with no pain, sometimes is shiny with small blood vessel over it.

SCC spreads much more quickly than BCC. Not only the signs are much more visible (like the red, thickened, and scaling patch which is often shown on the skin that is more open to sun exposure), the swelling is much firmer and harder. Sometimes, it can also bleed. If it is not treated quickly and properly, it can grow into a large mass.

Then, what about melanoma? It is considered more dangerous than SCC. If it is small, pink, red, or fleshy-looking, amelanotic melanoma is the name and it is aggressive. If the size, color, shape, or the elevation of a mole changes, it is called malignant melanoma.

If you have a new mole growing once you reach adulthood, along with the pain, itching, redness, ulceration, or bleeding around the area, then it is not a normal mole. It is melanoma. This condition also has its own mnemonic: ABCDE or “Asymmetrical, Borders, Color, Diameter (especially if it is more than 6 mm), and Evolving.”

Are there any other types of skin cancer? Merkel cell carcinomas is also one of them but it often looks like a regular cyst because it is not painful nor itchy. It also rapidly grows, with its non-tender, red bump(s) on the skin.

The cancer causes:

Tobacco, HPV infections, genetical syndromes (like the hereditary moles or birthmarks in the family), wounds that do not heal easily or known as Marjolin’s ulcers (which can develop into SCC), radiation, and also medications that increase the risk of getting a skin cancer are some of the causes. Unfortunately, if you have a lighter skin tone, you also have a bigger risk of getting cancer.

When does the skin cancer become deadly?

Cancer is deadly. However, when is it still manageable and when does it become deadly? BCC is normally not as hazardous as SCC and melanoma, although all cancers need to be treated. If your cancer is still considered a ‘low-risk’, a radiation therapy, a topical chemotherapy, and/or cryotherapy (where the cancer cells within are being freezed off so they stop growing or at least slow down) might be required.

You might need to consult with your doctor for further medical treatments. All cancers are generally deadly once the dangerous cells spread to other parts of body and damage the internal organs.

You should not wait for the cancer to hit ‘Stadium Three’. Get help immediately, even if it is still under that stadium.

Is surgery required to battle and remove skin cancer?

Is surgery required to battle and remove skin cancer?

As mentioned earlier, if your cancer is still considered a ‘low-risk’, then you may go through radiation therapy, topical chemotherapy, and/or cryotherapy. (Again, it depends on your cancer type and your consultation with your oncologist.)

If you worry about your cancer cells growing bigger and spreading inside your body, then Mohs surgery (or Moh’s micrographic surgery) is a possible solution. It is a technique to remove the cancer by removing the least amount of tissue and checking the edges if there is still any tumor there.

What if the cancer has already spread? This condition, which is called ‘metastasised’, can be handled by further surgeries or chemotherapy.

If your melanoma has become metastasised, another procedure that can be done is biologic immunotherapy.

Of course, after a surgery to remove the skin cancer, another surgery to reconstruct the lost tissue or skin needs to be done. This procedure is done to restore the normal function and appearance of the once affected area. Some of the defects are small enough to be covered through this procedure, although the bigger ones are usually more challenging.

Work out more regularly and eat healthy foods. Never forget to wear sunscreen when you are outdoor. Hopefully, no skin cancers or any other cancers return.