Skin cancer is the result of abnormal growth of skin cells that often develop in areas of the body excessively exposed to the sun. The harmful ultraviolet rays can cause malignant skin cells to develop and metastasize, with several types capable of invading body tissues and other organs.
The three primary forms of skin cancer are melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma.
The symptoms and treatment options of skin cancer depend on the type of skin cancer and other underlying factors.
Common symptoms of skin cancer
There are some unusual skin changes you should be aware of to know if it’s skin cancer.
- Skin lesions or new moles that are unusual in growth, with a bump or scaly and sore patches, or even dark spots that don’t go away
- Asymmetry or irregularly-shaped lesions or moles that are not even or identical
- Borders that are ragged with uneven edges
- Color that is strange or unusual like white, blue, pink, or red
- Diameter where the spot is larger than the size of a pencil eraser
- Evolving moles that change in color, size, or shape
Speaking on the lines of symptoms and treatment options of skin cancer, consider the following:
Basal cell carcinoma signs and symptoms
- A bump that is either pearly, shiny, or waxy to the touch
- A flat, flesh-colored or a dark scar that resembles skin lesions
- Bleeding and scrabbling sores that heal and return
Squamous cell carcinoma signs and symptoms
- An appearance of a firm and red nodule
- A skin lesion with a scaly and crusty surface that is almost flat
Melanoma signs and symptoms
- Large brownish spots featuring dark speckles
- Moles that change in appearance, color, and size that often bleed
- Irregular borders surrounding a skin lesion with colors like pink, white, red, blue, or black
- Skin lesions that are painful with an itchy and burning sensation
- Darker lesions that develop on the palms, toes, fingertips, lining of the mouth, on the nose, on the vagina, or the anus
Treatment for skin cancer
The symptoms and treatment options of skin cancer often go hand in hand. The treatment depends on the type of skin cancer, it’s size, location, and the stage of the condition. The common treatment options are as follows:
- Cryotherapy is administered where the growth is frozen using liquid nitrogen, and the tissue is destroyed as it softens
- Chemotherapy that includes administering drugs orally, topically, or injected into the skin to kill cancer cells
- Biological therapy that comprises of treatments aimed to stimulate the immune system to fight the cancer cells
- Mohs surgery that involves the removal of the growth by layers that are independently examined under a microscope
- Photodynamic therapy where a laser light and drugs are given to destroy cancer cells
- Radiation therapy involving high-powered energy beams targeted to kill cancer cells
- Immunotherapy that uses a cream to apply on the skin to stimulate the immune system and destroy cancer cells
- Excisional surgery where the growth and a part of healthy skin surrounding the tumor are cut off
- Curettage and electrodesiccation that uses a long blade to scrape the cancer cells, while the other cancer cells are burnt with an electric needle