Skin Cancer Support Group

In medicine (dermatology), there are several different types of cancer referred to under the general label of skin cancer.Skin cancer is a malignant growth on the skin, which can have many causes, including repeated severe sunburns or long-term exposure to the sun. Skin cancer generally develops in the epidermis, the outermost layer of skin, so a tumor is usually clearly visible. This makes most skin cancers detectable in the early stages. There are three common types of skin cancer, they are named after the type of skin cell.

The most common types are basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) which may be locally disfiguring but unlikely to spread to other parts of the body. The most dangerous type is malignant melanoma, which can be fatal if not treated early, but forms only a small number of all skin cancers.

Skin cancer is an increasingly common condition, in part attributed to increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation, against which no level of sun screens offer any decisive protection. The increased exposure is mainly due to the recent popularity of sun tanning (sun bathing). Lighter-skinned individuals are more vulnerable. In the United States, about one out of every three new cancer cases is a skin cancer. Skin cancer is also the cancer that most people get over any other kind of cancer. To reduce the chances of getting skin cancer from ultra violet radiation, one should exercise caution and wear protective clothing such as hats and long sleeve shirts. Also the use of creams and lotions containing sun screen should be encourged as effective means of blocking radiation.