Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. Anyone can get skin cancer, but some people are at a higher risk than others. It is mainly caused by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, from the sun or artificial sources like tanning beds. The three common types of skin cancer include basal cell, squamous cell carcinomas, and melanoma, which is the more dangerous and causes the most deaths.
The symptoms, precautions, and treatment methods for the different types of skin cancer include the following:
1. Symptoms of skin cancer
- Red itchy patches that do not heal for several days
- Rough patches that hurt and bleed easily
- Pink bumpy moles with depressed centers
- Open infections that do not heal and start bleeding
- Sudden appearance of a mole or wart
- Severely cracked lower lips that do not heal with lip balm or petroleum jelly
2. Precautions of skin cancer
- Avoid going out in the sun between 10 am to 4 pm. If you have to be out during these hours, cover yourself well with light clothing, sunglasses, and hats.
- Regular usage of sunscreen with SPF 30, or above, is highly recommended. Make sure you apply them 30 minutes before you step outside.
- Reapplication of sunscreen is recommended if you tend to sweat a lot during the day.
- Do not ignore scars or lesions caused by skin allergies. Consult a doctor if they take a long time to heal.
- Do not use UV tanning beds.
- Self-examination of your entire body is recommended at least once a year.
- Eat a healthy balanced diet to improve the immune system that can fight against cancer.
- Avoid exposure to chemical substances such as arsenic to prevent skin cancer.
- Precheck on antibiotic medicines with your doctor or pharmacist about the side effects of skin sensitivity and stay out of harsh sunlight while on dosage.
3. Treatment for skin cancer
The treatment for skin cancer varies and depends on the types of skin cancer. Most often skin cancer can be treated and cured with the right medicine. Some of the basic treatments for common skin cancer like basal cell and squamous cell are as follows.
- Removal of tumors with the help of scraping tools which is later burnt to disinfect and are killed with a low dose of nitrogen.
- By applying an ointment with a better immune responder called imiquimod and fluorouracil. The latter contains chemotherapeutic agents.
- The scars are further treated with medicines that include trametinib (Mekinist), dabrafenib (Tafinlar), vemurafenib (Zelboraf).
Treatment of melanoma is more intense as it is considered to be more dangerous than other types of skin cancer. Chemotherapy, Immunotherapy, and radiation are ideal methods to treat cancer at a matured stage.
- Surgery
- A surgery is performed to remove the infection that has spread to nearby tissues and lymph nodes.
- Chemotherapy
- Cancer-fighting medicines are induced into the body through IV or pills. In this procedure, the blood supply is sent directly to the infected area.
- Radiation
- It is a process to kill cancer-causing cells with the help of high energy beams like X-ray. This treatment stops the infection from spreading to other parts of the body.
- Biological therapy
- Medicines such as pembrolizumab (Keytruda), interferon and interleukin-2, nivolumab (Opdivo) and ipilimumab (Yervoy) are used to boost the immune system to fight cancer cells.
- Targeted therapy
- Medicines such as trametinib (Mekinist), Vemurafenib (Zelboraf) and dabrafenib (Tafinlar) are used to target the cancer cells directly and are used only to treat advanced melanoma.
