Skin Cancer Warning Signs
Sun Protection is a fact of life™
Skin cancer warning signs are certainly not what most of us would like to see, but at least they can alert us that something is out of order.
After all, even though some forms of skin cancer are more serious than others, all of them are potentially deadly.
Ironically, even though all forms of skin cancer are curable if they are caught in time, thousands of people around the world continue to die each year because of the disease.
In fact, if the disease is detected during the beginning stages it is usually possible to get rid of it completely by means of surgery.
However, if the disease is allowed to spread, patients will often need to receive radiation therapy or chemotherapy in addition to the surgery.
Providing you take the necessary steps to reduce the risks of getting skin cancer, and you regularly examine yourself, skin cancer will probably never get a chance to kill you.
One of the best ways to avoid getting skin cancer is to eliminate the risk factors associated with the disease.
Of course, it may already be too late for you to avoid one of the biggest risk factors of all, in that you may have been exposed to excessive amounts of sunlight when you were a child.
This is especially true if you often got such bad sunburn that it resulted in blistering. That could be one of the early skin cancer warning signs.
Fortunately however, you now have an opportunity as an adult to avoid spending too much time in the sun, and of course you should also make sure that your children are not subjected to excessive exposure.
If you have children and they are going to be in sun then you should always make sure they are using a suitable natural sunscreen, or at the very least, you should make sure they are covered up.
Being out in the sun during the hottest time of day should also be avoided at all costs whenever possible.
If you or your loved ones cannot avoid being outdoors in the midday sun, then it's essential that you use a good quality sunscreen lotion capable of filtering out the harmful UV rays.
It's also advisable to wear a hat and sunglasses, and if possible, some light clothing covering your arms and legs. Even though skin cancer warning signs commonly appear on the face, they can appear anywhere on your body.
Providing skin cancer is detected in the early stage of its development, it can usually be treated successfully by means of some relatively simple surgery to remove the malignant tumor.
Depending on the circumstances, the doctor may feel it's necessary to also remove some of the surrounding tissue, but in most cases, this is as far as what you'll need to go in terms of treatment.
Of course, if the disease has been left to progress then further treatment may be necessary, and this will usually include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and even the removal of lymph nodes.
Unfortunately, some of these treatments result in long lasting side effects which of course can be rather unpleasant.
If the disease or skin cancer warning signs have been ignored for so long that the tumor has managed to metastasize, or if the cancer has already spread to other areas of the body, then there's a possibility that it could result in a fatality.
You should also try to familiarize yourself with any moles you have on your body.
While most people tend to have moles, if you notice that any of yours have begun changing in their appearance, then it's a good indication that you could have skin cancer, and as such, you should go and see a doctor immediately.
The same applies to any unexplained lumps, bumps, or strange sores which refuse to heal up.
Skin cancer warning signs are relatively easy to spot if you examine yourself on a regular basis, but if you don't feel confident enough in doing so, then you should consider going for a medical checkup every six months at least.
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