First Signs of Skin Cancer
When is Medical Help Needed

Sun Protection is a fact of life™

The first signs of skin cancer are when you should seek medical help. This way you will know what you are dealing with sooner, and be able to get more successful treatment.

Also you will know how to take care of yourself while getting treatments. You may have to severely limit your exposure to the sun through using sun protection for one thing.

One thing definitely not to do is, wait until the suspicious area starts having pain. Skin cancer does not usually hurt. So if you visually see something that does not look right this could be the first signs of skin cancer.

This is the time to seek out medical help for your skin. When you find the problem in time you will have a better chance for a cure that is quick and successful. If you delay though, you will have a longer and sometimes more uncomfortable treatment to go through. Consult with your doctor for a proper diagnosis.

How Skin Cancer is Diagnosed

Even though your doctor might be able to tell that your skin problem is serious by looking, the only firm diagnosis for skin cancer is a by taking a biopsy. A biopsy is just a small sampling of the skin for the lab to run tests on. Sometimes this can be performed in your doctor's office with a bit of local anesthetic.

The doctor may also ask your habits as far as if you us uv protection. If you answer no he will tell you to use some. He will probably discuss the role that sun exposure can play in causing cancer and will tell you if he thinks this applies to your particular case. There are some other causes when it comes to skin cancer.

"Sunburnt Hand"

Don't be afraid to turn to your doctor if you think you have the first signs of skin cancer. He is only going to find out what is going on with your skin so he can prescribe a course of action.

The Stages of Skin Cancer

There are two stages of cancer they are local where the cancer stays only in your skin. Then there is a metastatic stage where it can infect other parts of your body and the skin. It usually starts in the skin and then hits the metastatic stage.

The squamous and basal cell carcinoma are usually just in the skin and it is unusual for them to spread. With these types of skin cancer only the simple biopsy is usually necessary for determining what kind and stage the cancer is.

If you have a larger spot or growth that has been there for awhile, the doctor will probably order numerous tests to see what stage the cancer is at, along with the biopsy. It is not wise at all to let a growth go without being checked.

So if you see the first signs of skin cancer on your body go see about it immediately. You will find that the treatment will be much quicker when you tend to the cancer early. Remember to use sun protection when you are outside too.