INTRODUCTION
Skin
cancers are a rapidly growing portion of all cancers diagnosed
each year. It is believed that increased sun exposure and
a decreased ozone layer are a major cause of this phenomenon.
This guide is designed to show you the common "warning"
signs of skin cancer and to show pictures of cancer and
pre-cancerous skin abnormalities. It is also designed to
teach you how to avoid these cancers. The beautiful thing
about skin cancer is that most are preventable, and those
diagnosed early are usually curable. Unfortunately, those
cancers not diagnosed early (especially melanoma) may be
fatal! The key to skin cancer control is prevention, followed
by early diagnosis.
By
far the most common skin cancers are Basal Cell Carcinoma
(BCC) and Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC). These two forms
of skin cancer, along with malignant melanoma, make up the
three skin cancers that afflict nearly a million Americans
each year. Though basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell
carcinoma are rarely fatal, they can cause a lot of damage
to the skin and often can lead to disfigurement and the
need for surgery. Metastatic melanoma is one of the most
aggressive and deadly cancers around. The only way to cure
it is to either prevent it in the first place, or have the
early cancer surgically removed. Once the cancer has spread
to other areas of the body (metastasized), it is much more
difficult to cure.
Please
consider filling out our anonymous survey once you have
completed this guide. Keep in mind that this guide is NOT
a substitute for seeing your physician if you have a skin
or health problem about which you're concerned. Because
skin cancers are potentially deadly, there is no substitute
for letting your doctor check out your skin on a regular
basis. An undiagnosed or unrecognized skin cancer could
kill you! One good rule-of-thumb is any growth or rash that
has not healed after 3 weeks, or any changing or growing
mole rash, should be evaluated by a doctor.
