Articles and Links :: 3 Types of Skin Cancer

Before we discuss skin cancer specifically it may be a good idea to define what cancer itself is.

Basically, cancer is defined as occurring when cells in a part of our bodies begin to grow out of control. Normal cells divide and grow in an orderly fashion, but cancer cells do not. Cancer cells will continue to grow and even crowd out normal cells. Even though there are many types of cancer, they all have this out-of-control growth of cells in common.

The Skin

The skin is the largest organ in the body and has 3 layers. From the outside in, they are: the epidermis, the dermis, and the subcutis.

The epidermis itself has three layers: an upper, a middle, and a bottom layer composed of basal cells.

These basal cells divide to form keratinocytes, (also called squamous cells) which make a substance (keratin) that helps protect the body.

Another type of cell, melanocyte, is also found in the epidermis. These cells produce the brown pigment called melanin. This pigment is what makes the skin tan or brown and helps protect the deeper layers of the skin from the harmful effects of the sun.

Because they act differently, skin cancers are divided into 2 groups: nonmelanoma and melanoma.

Nonmelanoma Skin Cancers

There are many types of nonmelanoma skin cancer, but the 2 most common are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Most basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers are caused by UV radiation produced by the sun.

Basal cell carcinoma begins in the lowest layer of the epidermis, called the basal cell layer. Most skin cancers, (about 3 out of 4), are basal cell carcinomas. They usually begin on areas exposed to the sun such as the face, hands and neck. Once found mostly in middle-aged or older people, basal cell carcinoma is now being seen in younger people. This may be because younger people are spending more time in the sun without using adequate protection for their skin. That’s why it extremely important to wear UV protection such as a rash guard and always use sunscreen.

Basal cell carcinoma grows slowly, but if it is not treated it can grow into nearby areas and invade the bone or other tissues beneath the skin.

Even after treatment, basal cell carcinoma can recur in the same place on the skin. Also, new basal cell cancers can start elsewhere on the skin. Between 35% - 50% of the people who have one basal cell cancer will develop a new skin cancer within the next 5 years.

Squamous cell carcinoma begins in the upper part of the epidermis and accounts for about 2 out of 10 skin cancers. It usually appears on places of the body such as the face, ear, neck, lips, and backs of the hands.

Squamous cell carcinomas are more likely to invade fatty tissues just beneath the skin, and slightly more likely to spread to lymph nodes or distant parts of the body than are basal cell carcinomas.

Melanoma Skin Cancer

Melanoma is a cancer that begins in the melanocytes, (the cells that produce the pigment melanin). Most of these cells keep on making melanin, so melanoma tumors are often brown or black, but this is not always the case.

It most often appears on the lower legs of fair-skinned women and on the trunk of fair-skinned men, but it can appear other places as well. While having dark skin lowers the risk of melanoma, it does not mean that a person with dark skin will never develop melanoma.

Melanoma is almost always curable when detected in its early stages. Unfortunately it is also likely to spread to other parts of the body. Therefore, although melanoma is much less common than basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers it is far more serious and it causes the majority of skin cancer deaths.

Protection is the Key

The best defense is a good offense so be aggressive in protecting yourself and your family. As mentioned earlier the best ways to protect your skin from the harmful UV rays of the sun are to stay out of the sun, (especially between the hours of 10am-4pm), wear UV protective clothing, (such as a rash guard, long sleeve rashguard or Repel StayDry Shirt), and ALWAYS use a "broad spectrum" sunscreen to protect against both UVA and UVB rays, (even on a cloudy day).