Melanoma is the deadliest of all skin cancers, perhaps more so for people of darker skinned races simply because the disease is harder to detect. The disease starts from mutated cells in your skin, generally collectively within a large mole. The disease can be very frightening for anyone who is infected, however with certain preventative measures you should never have to worry about developing the disease yourself.

There are three basic things to remember so that you do not put yourself at risk for melanoma: keep yourself out of the sun, examine your skin closely every month for outbreaks, and go in for a specialist check up every year. Essentially, if you do all these things you should be safe when it comes to skin cancer. It is important, however, that you do perform regular skin checks to be certain that all is well with the health of your skin.

Staying out of the sun is the most important thing you can do when trying to keep yourself safe from skin cancer and melanoma. UV rays from the sun damage your skin cells and can seriously increase your risk of developing cancer later in life. In fact, if you have had more than five sunburns in your life so far, your chances of developing skin cancer are doubled. It is greatly important that you not take the risk involved with suntanning! Sun beds are no better for you, either, so do not be fooled into thinking that you can achieve a nice suntan that way and still keep safe from the risks of cancer.

If you are really concerned about getting that bronze tan, perhaps you should strongly consider bronzing lotions or spray on fake tans. These may not sound particularly romantic, but they are necessary if you want to preserve the health of your skin and prolong your life, you need to stop sunbathing! Unfortunately, there is a strong part of our culture (and an ever growing one, at that) that states we all need a tan to look healthy. Where this came from is debatable, but the fact remains that this look, fashionable or not, can come at a very high price. If you do not want to risk contracting melanoma or another form of skin cancer, then by no means succumb to the pressure of the tan and cover your skin up! Long-sleeved clothing and sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher is the best defence if you do need to be outside.

Simply put, you do not want to contract melanoma. The disease has a decent survival rate, but that is not the point. Once you have developed melanoma once, the chances of the disease recurring are greatly increased. It is certainly best to steer well clear of the disease to begin with, and doing so is relatively simple. Even if you do stay out of the sun for the most part, it is important that you also give yourself a full monthly skin check to make sure that everything is all right. Ask your doctor or dermatologist how to properly check your skin for the early signs of melanoma so that you know what to look for. Keep in mind that if you have a lot of moles, fair skin and fair hair, that you are statistically more likely to develop the disease.

Use your own common sense, and remember how dangerous fashion can be. With all the tanning alternatives available now, there is no good reason to be out in the sun without some serious protection. Be vigilant, and be safe!



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If you find anything on your skin that looks like it shouldn't be there and which you can't identify, skin cancer pictures can help give you an idea of what you're looking at but they cannot replace a medical consultation. Any anomaly you find on your skin that you can't identify should be seen by a doctor. If you do some basic research on skin cancer, you'll know what questions to ask.

When you have an understanding of the symptoms, you need to perform regular skin self-examinations to detect any possible skin tumors early on. This is similar to a breast examination. You should check all over your skin, including on your scalp and between your toes, using a wall mirror and handheld mirror.

Look carefully for irregularities during your skin self-examination and keep an eye on any you find. Early detection of skin cancer is possible because the first symptoms appear on the skin, but a skin tumor may look like a rash, mole, or sore. If you fail to have skin cancer treated early, it can metastasize, spreading to other parts of the body and creating additional tumors, possibly threatening your life. Any possible symptoms should be evaluated by a doctor as soon as possible; you cannot diagnose skin cancer yourself.

Melanocytes are the cells which pigment the skin, located between the dermis and the epidermis. These cells can mutate to form benign growths known as nevi or moles, or can become melanoma, a form of cancer. Moles are extremely common; the average person has between 10 and 40 moles. Having an especially large number of moles or having dysplastic nevi, or irregularly shaped moles, is a risk factor for melanoma. A doctor can help you determine your level of risk for melanoma and what you can do to detect it early. You need to watch for any changes in number or shape of your moles, and keep a close eye on dysplastic nevi. A change in size, shape, color, or the health of the surrounding skin may indicate melanoma and any such changes should be evaluated by a doctor immediately.

The surface of the skin, or epidermis, is made of a layer of basal cells covered by a layer of squamous cells. These cells may become cancerous, forming squamous or basal cell carcinoma, the two most common types of nonmelanoma skin cancer. A nonmelanoma tumor may have a less striking appearance, looking like a small lump, rash, or sore which doesn't heal. Any skin problem which doesn't heal should be evaluated by a doctor.

The best way to catch skin cancer early is to regularly examine your skin and ask a doctor about anything you can't identify, but skin cancer pictures can be used to help you determine which skin irregularities require immediate medical attention.


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Detecting skin cancer in its earliest stages not only significantly increases the patient's chance of making a full recovery, it can also save the patient from having to go through aggressive treatments which can have severe side effects. The key to early detection is in finding skin irregularities and recognizing them as possible skin tumors, and promptly having them examined by a doctor. Some background information along with skin cancer photos can help you recognize what symptoms to look for.

Skin cancer is much more likely to be detected within its earliest stages of development if the patient has taken an active part in the process. You need to perform regular skin self-examinations, searching every part of your body for any irregularities with a basic idea of what you need to be looking for. If you find any suspicious growths, you can visit a doctor for professional evaluation.

The symptoms you need to look for vary in cases of melanoma or nonmelanoma skin cancer. You need to be especially attentive to the possibility of developing melanoma if you have certain risk factors, such as a higher than average number of nevi, or moles, or a high number of dysplastic nevi.

Dysplastic nevi are moles with an unusual appearance. They may be asymmetrical or particularly large. If you have any of these risk factors, you may want to ask a doctor for help in watching for an increase in the number of moles you have or any changes in their condition. After an initial evaluation, you may want to check regularly with a doctor. Even if you don't have an unusually high number of moles or dysplastic nevi, you should still watch for new moles or changes in existing moles when you do your skin examination.

New dysplastic nevi should be seen by a doctor. If an existing mole changes in size, shape, or color, or if irritation or any color change occurs in the bordering skin, you should consult a doctor.

Moles are usually benign growths and most people have between 10 and 40 of them. They are formed of the same melanocyte cells which can turn into skin cancer, so moles do need to be watched carefully for any changes.

Nonmelanoma skin cancer generally affects the basal or squamous cells which make up the epidermis. These types of skin cancer can be less striking in appearance than melanoma, and are less severe, but early detection is still extremely important. While nonmelanoma skin cancer is most common on the face and other parts of the body which are exposed to sunlight, the entire body should be checked for symptoms.

Symptoms may appear as small lumps, which may be red or flesh-toned, or as sores or rashes which do not heal on their own. Any sores or rashes found during a skin examination should be watched carefully to see if they're healing, and if they aren't, this means a doctor should be consulted.

Skin cancer photos can be a useful aid in helping you determine what skin irregularities warrant a visit to a doctor, but should not be used as an exclusive guide for self-diagnosis. Do regular self-examinations, use the information provided in addition to photos, and see a doctor for any irregularity that you can't identify, because even if it isn't skin cancer, it may require medical attention.



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If you know what early warning signs to look for, skin cancer can be detected at an early stage and cured without the use of aggressive treatments which cause severe side effects. Unlike other cancers, skin cancer's earliest warning signs are openly visible on the skin. The advantage of early detection is lost if you don't know what to look for and if you fail to do regular skin examinations or consult a doctor if you find any irregularities. Skin cancer images can be used as a guide when doing a skin self-examination, showing you what kind of irregularities require medical attention.

Early detection of skin cancer is extremely important. When detected early, skin cancer can usually be removed through a simple outpatient surgery; this can even be true for the most serious form of skin cancer, melanoma. If the disease is allowed to advance and the tumor is allowed to grow to the point that it may begin to metastasize, local lymph nodes may need to be removed and tested for cancerous cells. If cancerous cells have spread to nearby lymph nodes, radiation or chemotherapy may be necessary to destroy any remaining cancer cells throughout the body.

If skin cancer has further progressed before treatment, other tumors may begin to grow in other parts of the body. These tumors, though they may be in other organs or systems, are made up of the same cancerous skin cells. If one or more tumors appear in other parts of the body, further surgeries and more aggressive treatments may be necessary, and the point may be reached where curing the cancer is impossible and only the symptoms are treated.

Early detection being so important and skin cancer being such a common disease, people need to learn not just prevention methods but also methods of early detection. Just as women need to do regular breast self-examinations, everyone needs to do periodic skin self-examinations, checking thoroughly all parts of their skin for any irregularities that may be a sign of skin cancer. Exemplary images of skin cancer symptoms can help people recognize skin irregularities which require medical examination to find out whether they are cancerous.

Warning signs for melanoma include any changes in moles or nevi, especially dysplastic nevi, or moles which are irregularly shaped or colored. Nonmelanoma skin cancer can be more difficult to detect for people who don't know what to look for, as it can present itself as small, relatively harmless-looking lumps, or as sores or rashes that don't seem to heal properly. If a person sees an image of this type of skin cancer, they will know to see a doctor rather than waiting it out and seeing if it heals on its own.

As long as they are accompanied by some background information, skin cancer images can be an important tool for people who wish to detect skin cancer in its early stages.


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