Melanoma, a malignant skin tumor, is a type of tumor that develops on our skin without any symptoms or warning, even on a pre-existing mole. Therefore, we should pay special attention to the moles on our skin and monitor them. A vital source of skin cancer is melanocytes, which are called melanocytes and produce pigments that have a coloring role in our skin and also allow us to tan. When melanoma grows uncontrollably, this cancer begins to develop.
What are the Ways to Prevent Skin Cancer?
Since it usually occurs on the upper surface of our skin, early detection of this cancer is highly likely. However, in order for this early diagnosis to be possible, people should know their bodies very well and check them at regular intervals. The best way to do this is to look at our body naked in front of a mirror every month and examine it from head to toe. We need to start from the scalp and examine all parts of our body one by one. One way to reduce the impact of skin cancer is to pay attention to protection from the harmful effects of sunlight. Especially in the summer months, we should take care not to go out during the hours when the sun’s harmful rays are too high. However, we should make use of sunscreens when going out and protect ourselves from solarium and ultraviolet rays for too long.
Symptoms of Skin Cancer
Skin cancer can occur suddenly on our skin without any symptoms, or it can occur on our moles that we already have. Therefore, we need to recognize the shape and location of the moles on our body and take precautions accordingly. It is possible for normal moles to be confused with so-called atypical moles. A mole that has melanoma from the beginning can be mistaken for a normal mole. But this mole may actually have been a cancer mole all along. Therefore, we can also recognize whether we have skin cancer by some symptoms.
These symptoms include peeling of the skin. However, symptoms such as oozing and bleeding on our skin are among the signs of a skin cancer. At the same time, symptoms such as swelling and blistering, especially on moles on our bodies, can also help us recognize skin cancer. We especially need to pay attention to the moles on our body. Symptoms such as abnormal pain and changes in sensation in any part of the body are among the symptoms of this disease.
ABCD Method in the Diagnosis of Skin Cancer
Since skin cancer is usually on moles, we should know our moles very well and apply the ABCD method accordingly. According to this method, a, the method we call asymmetry indicates that if half of any mole in our body is not the same as the other half, this non-identity is among the symptoms of the disease if it does not resemble the other in terms of color and shape.
In the other method we call method b, if the boundaries of the mole are disproportionate, we can diagnose it as a symptom of the disease, and according to this method, if our mole is in a different color, that is, in a mixture of colors other than brown or black colors, we can understand that it is a symptom of the disease with this method. In the D method, if the size of the mole is larger than 6 millimeters, this can also be considered as a sign of skin cancer.
Risk Factors for Skin Cancer
As with all types of cancer, there are many risk factors for skin cancer. In skin cancer, especially if individuals with fair skin are exposed to too much sun, the rates of skin cancer are very high. However, if anyone in the family has had skin cancer before, the likelihood of anyone in the family developing skin cancer is also high.
People with fair skin and more freckles on their faces are also among the risk groups. Dark-skinned people should pay particular attention to their bodies, the bottoms of their feet, the palms of their hands and the inside of their fingernails, as these areas are highly prone to skin cancer.
Diagnosis Methods of Skin Cancer
Early diagnosis is particularly important in skin cancer. People with larger moles compared to normal moles are diagnosed with skin cancer according to the condition of their moles and with regular controls. Therefore, skin cancer is diagnosed especially with a method called dermatoscopy. While doing this, the moles in our body are controlled by enlarging the moles 20-30 times more than normal.
At the same time, in the application of this method, the image of the moles is transferred to the computer with the help of a hand-held device. Skin cancer is diagnosed with data obtained both with the naked eye and by dermatoscopic examination. After the diagnosis of skin cancer is made, pathological examination of the tissue taken by surgical intervention can also be performed to make a diagnosis.
Causes that Trigger Skin Cancer
There are many triggers for skin cancer. Excessive sun exposure, especially for fair-skinned people, is one of the leading causes of skin cancer. In addition, regular examinations and exposure to excessive heat such as sunbathing and solarium trigger skin cancer, especially for people with freckles, as they are under risk groups. If you are under the age of 30 and use a solarium, this is also a very important trigger for skin cancer.
If you have a family member who has had skin cancer before, the risk of developing the disease is high. As it is, it is necessary to have regular check-ups at regular intervals. Direct ultraviolet radiation to our body is also one of the most important factors that trigger skin cancer.
Types of Skin Cancer
Our skin is very diverse and consists of different layers. Since the layers of our skin are different, skin cancer also occurs in different ways on these different layers. Because of these differences, some skin cancers can be treated very easily, while others are not so easy to treat. The first of these cancer types is basal cell cancer. This type of cancer takes its name from the name given to the top layer of our skin and is one of the most common cancers.
People with this type of cancer are usually over the age of 50 and have fair skin color. 2 types of cancer are squamous cell cancer. This type of cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in the middle of the dental and medial parts of our skin. This type of cancer is usually seen in people with a family history of this cancer. A third type of cancer is melanoma, which is the most dangerous type of skin cancer.
Preventive Measures Against Skin Cancer
There are many ways to prevent skin cancer. First, we should apply sunscreen with a factor of 30 yil or more every 4 hours. Avoiding places such as solarium is also one of the ways of protection. Sunglasses are also one of the ways to protect against skin cancer and sunglasses that protect against UV rays should be preferred. Since chemicals are one of the methods that trigger skin cancer, you should avoid chemicals such as coal and arsenic.
