About Skin Cancer

With summer approaching quickly, you might be ready to have some fun in the sun. But don't rush into catching those rays just yet. Sun exposure may cause skin cancer. Skin cancer, primarily caused by sun exposure, is the most common type of cancer in the United States. However, an understanding of skin cancer and its risk factors is important in establishing good habits under the sun, and thus preventing skin cancer.

There are three common types of skin cancer: melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma.

Melanoma

Although not the most common form of skin cancer, melanoma is the most serious. Melanoma is a malignant tumor that forms in melanocytes, cells that make the pigment melanin, which colors our skin, eyes and hair. If it is detected and treated early, melanoma is curable. However, if it is found in its later stages, the cancer may spread to other regions of the body, which makes treatment difficult, and may even lead to death. The fatality of melanoma is the reason why it is so serious. The majority of skin cancer cases that end in death are due to melanoma.