In the United States, Skin Cancer is the Most Common Type of Cancer

Skin cancer occurs in more than one million people each year, including many older individuals. There are three primary types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Of the three, melanoma is the most threatening. May is Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month, a great time to understand possible risk factors of skin cancer and screening recommendations.

Melanoma causes and risk factors

Melanoma is less common than non-melanoma skin cancers, but it is more serious. Some factors that can increase a person’s chance of getting melanoma:

• Severe, blistering sunburns early in life
• Unusual moles
• Large quantity of ordinary moles (more than 50)
• White or fair skin
• Skin with freckles
• Blond or red hair
• Blue or green eyes
• 20 years of age or older

If a person has melanoma risk factors it does not guarantee that individual will get skin cancer. Many factors can play a role in causing cancer.

How do tumors form?

Cells in the body grow, divide and produce more cells as needed. But, sometimes, cells become abnormal and multiply in an uncontrolled way. The extra cells form a mass of tissue that is called a growth or tumor. Skin cancer occurs when abnormal cells form and multiply in the epidermis, or abnormal cells from the epidermis invade the dermis of the skin. Tumors can be relatively harmless (benign) or cancerous (malignant).

What is a cancer screening?

When an individual is checked for cancer without having symptoms, it is called a screening. Screening can help diagnose skin problems before they become cancerous. A doctor, typically a dermatologist, can screen for skin cancer by performing a total-body skin examination.

During a skin examination the healthcare professional:

• Looks for overall changes in the skin
• Checks moles and birth marks for abnormal size, color, shape or texture
• Examines skin pigmentation
• Looks for irregular patches of skin
• Cancer screenings are likely to detect benign skin conditions, which are common in older individuals.

Performing a Biopsy

If a screening test does show a growth or abnormal change, a biopsy will help determine if the abnormal change is cancer. In a biopsy, a small piece of tissue is taken from the abnormal area and is examined under a microscope to check for cancer cells. If the biopsy shows cancer cells, you and your doctor should discuss a treatment plan as soon as possible.

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