Till now most people are of the opinion that moles are the first sign of skin cancer. Well! You’re wrong because you may have more than one mole on your body throughout life and it still won be cancer. There are several types of skin cancer that don’t look like moles at all. Instead they look like red sores, warts, bumps and scaly patches. According to Dr. Cheryl Rosen a dermatologist at Toronto Western Hospital, here are 4 types of skin cancer and how to recognize them.
Although actinic keratosis is non-cancerous, 10 % of these sores can turn into squamous cell carcinoma if they are not removed. Prominent in older adults as patches, they accumulate as a result of constant UV exposure over the years.
An actinic keratosis will look like basal or squamous cell cancers but only smaller. You may not notice them at first but when you do, they appear as something rough on the skin. Most patients develop more than one actinic keratosis. The treatment for actinic keratosis is cauterization, freezing, cutting or scraping out the lesion.
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This is the most common type of skin cancer found in the skin cells responsible for producing new cells. Found commonly on sun exposed areas such as the face and neck, basal cell cancers grow slowly and rarely cause any problems.
Dr. Rosen says that such cancers look like small bumps on the skin or are scaly patch that won’t go away. Sometimes blood vessels can be seen on the surface. As it is difficult to distinguish from actinic keratosis or squamous cell, its best to consult a dermatologist who may perform a biopsy for a correct diagnosis. The treatment for basal cell carcinomas is skin cream applied daily for several weeks. Those appearing below the skin surface need to be surgically removed. To avoid scarring for such conditions on the face, “Mohs surgery” is often the best treatment to reduce the size of a scar.
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Squamous cell cancer develops in cells of the outer layer of the skin. Squamous cell carcinomas which appear on areas of the skin that haven’t been exposed to the sun are at an increased risk of spreading than those appearing on sun damaged skin.
Both Squamous and basal cell carcinomas look similar and appear as crusted or scaly red sores or wart-like bumps. They grow more rapidly than basal cell cancers. These cancers are treated with topical creams in the early stages. In advanced stage, chemotherapy will be required. Squamous cell carcinomas are far more dangerous than basal cell cancers but the cure rate is an impressive 95% if they are treated immediately on detection. Such cancers can destroy skin, lip and nasal tissue and can even spread to lymph nodes and organs.
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Melanoma is one of the least common of skin cancers which develop in melanin producing cells. It’s also the most widely known cancer and the most dangerous as they can easily spread to the lymph nodes. Melanomas diagnosed early have a high cure rate. Fair skinned people and those with family history of melanoma should always be cautious enough to look for the condition on their skin to detect it in its early stages.
Melanoma looks like an ordinary mole but will always appear as a new one. Melanoma moles are irregular and asymmetrical or blotchy and may also be colorful such as black, red, pink, gray or blue. Melanomas usually grow to be larger than a pea. Melanomas, when treated in the early stages, can be surgically removed while the advanced cases require chemotherapy and radiation. Should you notice any of these types of skin cancer you should consult your doctor immediately.
Also read about: 11 Cancerous Products That You May Be Using Now At Home
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