Skin Cancer Screening: What Your Doctor Is Looking For

Skin Cancer Screening: What Your Doctor Is Looking For

If you have fair skin and are exposing your body to sunlight, then it is recommended to consult your doctor on skin cancer screening. Because skin cancer is the most common cancer among others, skin cancer can be cured at early stages.

What is skin cancer?

It is a disease of the skin when more than the normal cells are extended because sunlight contains ultraviolet rays, which act as an unbalancing factor in the skin process. With that being said, skin cancer is often very easy to cure when detected early.

Stages of skin cancer

Stage 0: This stage of skin cancer is only visible on the upper skin. It doesn’t go deeper under the skin.

Stage 1: In this stage, cancer starts to penetrate the skin at 1 mm. This stage is the pre-early stage of melanoma.

Stage 2: In this stage, cancer spreads deeper into the skin but does not harm our internal organs. It is known as early-stage melanoma and is classified into A2 and B2.

Stage 3: In this stage, cancer spreads to some tissues in our body, like lymph nodes and eyelids. This stage is known as medium-stage melanoma.

Stage 4: This is the last stage, cancer has spread to distant organs such as the lungs, liver, or brain. It is referred to as advanced melanoma.

What is skin cancer screening?

Screening is a process of detecting disease before any symptoms show. This process helps to find out about cancer in its early stage, or you can say that it is a treatable stage. In screening, the doctor checks the early-stage symptoms, such as brownish spots, dark patches, and moles of different sizes and colors.

The screening process is updated day after day because much research is conducted regularly on skin cancer. Certain types of people are more cancer-prone; for example, a fair-skinned person has more chance of skin cancer than a person with brown or black skin. The same goes for people who consume toxic elements such as smoke, alcohol, and drugs, and others who have more chances of cancer than others.

Types of examinations

Self-examine: In this examination, you can check your body completely in front of a mirror. You will find some abnormal moles, dark patches, and brownish spots. Sometimes, excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays causes mutations in DNA that are unrepairable and cause skin cancer.

Clinical examination: if you find any suspicious moles or recent dark patches on their body, clinical examination might help by consulting a dermatologist. Doctors use blood tests, skin graft testing, and MRI scans in clinical examinations.

Warning signs that indicate the risk of skin cancer

Sunlight exposure: It is obvious that if you live on a tropical island or place where sunlight is on your body all over the year, chances are high for skin cancer, so visit a doctor and get referred for skin cancer screening.

Age: if you are one of the people in their 40s-50s and your skin has been exposed to sunshine most of your life, this is a reason why should you go for a screening for skin cancer because all patients diagnosed with melanoma tumor stages I-IV bone metastasis where between ages 40-50 Years-of-age.

Tanning bed: A tanning bed is used to make the skin darker using sunlight. Practicing excessively over tanning beds may expose you to higher risks of skin cancer. Tanning beds/ tan booths cause skin cancer risk to increase by 58%.

Irregular moles and dark patches: Huge black areas as well as painful moles are another indication of skin cancer. New moles and patches will be discovered only if you check your body every single day. If you experience any of these symptoms, then more investigation is needed.

ABCDE of skin cancer

Doctors use a simple rule to find out the signs of these cancerous moles, called the ABCDE rule.

A = Asymmetry means when one half of the mole is too different from the other. This is because of some mutation-damaged DNA caused by ultraviolet rays.

B = The border of moles is expanding rapidly, causing a regulation, a notched edge, and the blurred edge of moles.

C = The color of cancer moles is uneven, you will notice that every mole is different from other moles in terms of shades.

D = The diameter of moles is increasing rapidly due to the mutation in the skin. Moles can be larger than 6 mm.

E = The moles are evolving every few seconds in terms of size, shape, color, and elevation.

Conclusion

Skin cancer is the most common cancer. It has 5 stages, but it is easily cured when detected in 1-2 stages. The common symptoms of skin cancers are painful moles, recent dark patches, sores for more than 2 weeks, and excessive exposure to sunlight. Two exams to screen for skin cancer: 1.) self-examination and 2.) clinical examination. Warning signs of new or risk-elevating skin cancers include tanning bed use, sun exposure history, increasing age, and death moles. If you see any of these habits, it is important to go to the skin cancer screening procedures.

Life's better when you are aware of your surroundings.

Life's better when you are aware of your surroundings.

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