What Is Skin Cancer ?

Before diving into our post of today which is going to be talking about what is skin cancer, it will be great to hear that most cases of this skin cancer can easily be prevented.

skin cancer

Skin cancer as we know is one of the most common cancers especially in the United States of America.

Most of the cases of melanoma which is the most dangerous type of skin cancer is caused by excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiations from the sun or tanning beds.


Ultraviolet rays are forms of invisible radiations which can penetrate the skin and change skin cells. There are basically three types of ultraviolet (UV) rays.

• UVA
• UVB
• UVC

Of the three UV rays, UVA is considered the most dangerous as it increases the risk of skin cancer.

Types of Skin Cancer

Skin cancer exists in many forms including the following:

Melanoma: 

A melanoma is a cancerous growth that mostly develops in the skin in parts of the body that contain melanocyte cells, such as the eyes, lymph nodes, and digestive tracts or even the membranes lining the brain and spinal cord (meninges)

This is the most dangerous type of skin cancer. 

Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) :

This is the most common type of skin cancer. BCC rarely spreads and is easily treatable due to its low growth rate. 

Usually, Basal cell carcinoma develops in areas of the body that receive sun exposure on a regular basis. This can be in areas like the hands and face.

The most common form of BCC is called the nodular basal cell carcinoma. In this form, lesions tend to be blue, black or brown in color.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC):

This form of skin cancer tends to appear in areas of the body that experience higher levels of exposure to the sun. This may include parts like the lips, the back or even the face. 

In squamous cell carcinoma, lesions appear to be lumpy, rough, scaly or flat and they easily bleed. SCC is more Likely to spread than BCC.

Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC):

MCC or neuroendocrine carcinoma is a very rare type of skin cancer. They can develop on the face or on the neck or even the head. The lesions look bluish-red or sometimes flesh-colored.

Kaposi Sarcoma (KS):

This form of skin cancer is commonly associated with HIV/AIDS, but there are other causes, like other infections.

kaposi sarcoma lesions can grow under the skin, in the mouth's lining throat and nose.

KS appears to be red or purple. Also, they are made of both blood cells and cancer cells. They often are very painful.

Epidermoid Cyst:

May also be referred to as sebaceous cyst (even though they are different). epidermoid cysts are not cancerous.

They often appear on the torso, neck or face, as small bumps beneath the skin.Sebaceous cyst is not too common.

They develop from sebaceous glands. The sebaceous gland is that body gland that secretes the oily matter the lubricates skin and hair.

Skin Cancer Causes and Risk factors

Risk factors may vary based on the different types of skin cancer. Skin cancer risk factors can increase as a result of the following.

• Lighter natural skin color
• Family or personal history of skin cancer
• Excessive sun exposure
• Indoor tanning
• A history of sunburns, particularly early in life
• Skin that burns, freckles, or reddens easily, or becomes painful in the sun
• Blue or green eyes
• Blond or red hair
• Certain types of moles

If you are the type of person who always burns and never tans when in the sun, or if you burn easily, you are at increased risk for skin cancer.

Contrary to popular belief, a tan does not indicate good health.

It's a sign of injury to skin cells by UV rays; the cells respond to this injury by producing more pigment.