Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. The number of new cases of skin cancer appears to be rising each year. The number of deaths due to skin cancer, though, is fairly small. The good news is that skin cancer is now almost 100% curable if found early and treated promptly. 

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is the main cause of skin cancer. Artificial sources of UV radiation, such as sunlamps and tanning booths, can also cause skin cancer. Although anyone can get skin cancer, the risk is greatest for people who have fair skin that freckles easily -- often those with red or blond hair and blue or light-colored eyes. Most skin cancers appear after age 50, but the sun's damaging effects begin at an early age. So, protection should start in childhood to prevent skin cancer later in life. 

The two most common kinds of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The most serious kind of skin cancer is called melanoma.

Symptoms of the three most common types of skin cancer are as follows:

Basal cell cancer

• Pearly or waxy bump on your face, ears or neck 
• Flat, flesh-colored or brown scar-like lesion on your chest or back 

Squamous cell cancer

• Firm, red nodule on your face, lips, ears, neck, hands or arms 
• Flat lesion with a scaly, crusted surface on your face, ears, neck, hands or arms 

Melanoma

• Small lesion with an irregular border and red, white, blue or blue-black spots on your trunk or limbs 
• Shiny, firm, dome-shaped bumps anywhere on your body 
• Dark lesions on your palms, soles, fingertips and toes, or on mucous membranes — skin that lines your mouth, nose, vagina and anus 
• Large brownish spot with darker speckles, anywhere on your body 
• Simple mole anywhere on your body that changes in color or size or consistency or that bleeds 

Most skin cancers are preventable by limiting or avoiding exposure to UV radiation and by detecting changes in your skin at an early stage. If caught early, most skin cancers are highly treatable. For these reasons, it's important to protect your skin from the sun and to check your skin regularly for signs of skin cancer.

Skin Cancer Symptoms to S