Skin cancer
Because of the increase in pollutants in the air and the harm that has been done to the ozone layer, there is an increase in the amount of UC in the atmosphere. This means that more and more people are showing up with skin cancer problems. But what most people who are worried about skin cancer do not realize is that there are different types of skin cancer that they can experience. In order to make sure that you are doing everything that you can to adequately protect yourself from this disease, you will first need to know what to look for in each of the different forms of skin cancer.
The most common form of skin cancer that most people will experience when they are diagnosed with the disease is basal cell carcinoma. While basal cell carcinoma is responsible for close to ninety percent of all the skin cancer cases, the good news is that this kind of cancer very rarely metastasizes and spreads to other parts of the body. The main problem that people experience with basal cell carcinoma is the fact that the growth will encroach on the surrounding healthy tissue as it grows, and it if is not caught soon enough you could have to remove a large section of a person’s skin when it is discovered.
Another kind of skin cancer is squamous cell carcinoma, which is a disease that affects the cells that are strung together to form the surface of the skin. However, the squamous cells are also found in the body’s organs like the respiratory and digestive tract, and because of this squamous cell carcinoma can appear in these organs as well as the skin. While exposure to the sun does play a significant role in a person’s predisposition as to whether or not they will get this kind of skin cancer, it also appears that squamous cell carcinoma is a disease that affects men more often than it does women.
Another form of skin cancer is melanoma, and it affects the cells that are in the skin that are known as melanocytes. When they are functioning properly, melanocytes are responsible for producing melanin. Melanin is the underlying pigment in the skin that works to give people their individual color. When you are exposed to the sun your skin produces more melanin, which in turn will release more pigment, which results in the darkening of your skin (or tanning). When the melanocytes gather in clusters and combine with other tissues it can result in the formation of a mole. These noncancerous growths are normal and are extremely common in most individuals. In fact, it is estimated that the average person has anywhere from ten to forty different moles, and these growths can range from pink to brown to flesh colored. When a person gets melanoma the cancer starts off in the melanocyte cells, and this problem can result in the growth of a tumor that is malignant (cancerous).
If you are looking for the best way to make sure that you don’t have problems with skin cancer as you get older then you will need to make sure that you do everything you can to protect yourself from the dangerous UV rays that often trigger this disease. While your body does need a certain amount of sunlight in order to produce Vitamin D and to function properly, you do not want to be out in the sunlight for hours on end without making sure that you protect your skin properly. It is recommended that if you are going to be out in the sun for more than thirty minutes at a time that you use an appropriate level of sun block with a high SPF, and if you are going to be in the water, make sure that you choose one that is also waterproof for the best results.
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