Look Out For The Early Stages Of Skin Cancer
Receiving a diagnosis that you have skin cancer is usually taken very hard. You probably do not know what you can do next as decisions hare hard to make in such an unnerving time. Luckily, the chance of you surviving skin cancer is usually very good as long as it was detected early.
When you catch skin cancer early, you can have it removed and stop the cancer before it has a chance to take hold. Be sure to be pro-active about keeping skin cancer at bay. When you find it early on, you have a good chance of defeating it.
During the initial phases of skin cancer you will learn if you have a non-melanoma or a melanoma skin cancer. The beginning stages for these two cancers carry a very good prognosis for survival. It is quite uncommon for a basal cell carcinoma to advance past the second stage so the prognosis is excellent if this is the form of skin cancer you’re dealing with.
If you have been diagnosed with a melanoma skin cancer it can and does spread beyond stage I and II if it is not stopped. When it is found in stage I and II the survival rate for a melanoma over five years is almost 100%. If it is found at stage III the survival rate drops to 60%. This is a large drop and shows the importance of early detection as the biggest cure for melanoma skin cancer.
It is absolutely vital that you regularly check your skin at least once a month. A doctor should also see you regularly so that your skin can be checked as a part of your normal physical. If you notice anything suspicious on your skin you should have it checked out by a doctor immediately. This is especially true if you have a mole or discoloration that is changing shape and or color.
If you have a wound that will not heal, it could possibly be melanoma. Check with your doctor as to what to look for when conducting a self inspection of your skin. Knowing what to look will make it a lot easier to report any condition that may be of concern.
Early stages of skin cancer can be relatively small in size, about the size of a pea, and progressively grows larger. Eventually other organs will become involved as the cancer progresses through the body. Once this happens the survival rate will drop and other forms of treatment, aside from removal of the cancer, will be necessary.
