How dangerous is skin cancer?
CANCER, well you all might have seen someone or the other close to you or around you suffering from cancer right? And that might have terrified you because of how dangerous that disease can be. CANCER, although just a six letter word, has a lot of negative impact on the minds of the people, because of the fact that one can hardly see anyone getting recovered from cancer and living a happy life, because what most of the times we see is cancer leading to the death of our loved ones. Thus, one can see that a lot of awareness has been rising against cancer, it’s symptoms, types and treatment so that people don’t have to lose their loved ones to a deadly disease yet again.
And when we know how dangerous scary the disease Cancer cab be, it is impossible for us to think that all different types of cancer are not dangerous or fatal but the reality is that, Yes not all types of cancers are dangerous or fatal. And today we are going to look at how dangerous can skin cancers be? But before that let’s have a look at what is cancer, skin cancer and some other details about skin cancer before finally moving on to hoe dangerous is skin cancer.
What is cancer?
Cancer is a type of disease in which some of the body’s cells grow crazily and outspreads to other parts of the body.
Cancer can develop anywhere and everywhere in the human body, which is made up of billions & billions of cells. Usually, human cells grow and multiply (through a process known as cell division) to form new cells as it the necessity of the body. When cells grow old or become damaged, they die, and new cells appear in place of the old ones.
However once in a while this orderly procedure breaks down, and abnormal or damaged cells grow and multiply in a crazy manner when they shouldn’t. And these abnormal or damaged cells may form tumours, (Tumours are nothing but lumps of tissues). Although Tumours can either be cancerous or non - cancerous (also known as benign).
What is Skin Cancer?
Skin Cancer is nothing but the abnormal growth of the skin cells and most often develops on the skin that is most exposed in the sunlight. But that doesn’t mean that one can be affected by skin cancer on the areas not exposed to the sun. There are three main types of Skin Cancer and they are as follows:
Basal cell carcinoma,
Squamous cell carcinoma and
Melanoma
And they have got their names from the different layers of the skin, meaning the layer of the skin where the cancer cells grow or develop.
Where Skin Cancer develops?
Skin cancer develops essentially on areas of the skin that is exposed to the sun, including the scalp, face, lips, ears, neck, chest, arms and hands, and on the legs in women. But it can also form on areas that rarely see the light of day —one’s palms, beneath their fingernails or toenails, and their genital area.
Skin cancer affects people of all skin types, including those with darker skin. If melanoma occurs in people with dark skin, it is more likely to occur in sun-exposed areas, such as the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet.
Where Does Skin Cancer Begin?
Most skin cancers start in the upper layer of the skin, called the epidermis. There are 3 main types of cells in the epidermis:
Squamous cells: Squamous cells are flat cells in the upper (outer) part of the epidermis, which always break down as they form new ones. When these cells grow out of control, they can develop into squamous cell carcinoma (also called squamous cell carcinoma).
Basal cells: Basal cells are found beneath the epidermis, called the basal cell layer. These cells constantly divide to form a new cell and replace the aging squamous cells on the surface of the skin. As these cells grow in the epidermis, they flatten, thus becoming squamous cells. Skin cancer that starts in the basal cell layer is called basal cell cancer or basal cell carcinomas.
Melanocytes: Melanocytes cells form a brown pigment called melanin, which causes the skin to darken or turn brown. Melanin acts as a natural sunscreen for the body, protecting the deeper layers of the skin from some of the harmful effects of the sun. Melanoma skin cancer starts in these cells.
What Are the Most Common Types of Skin Cancer?
Although Skin Cancer itself is one of the most common types of cancer, we still have different types of skin cancer and, let's take a look at which type of skin cancer is most common. Of all the different types of skin cancer, Basal and squamous cell are the most common types of skin cancer. They usually start on the upper layer of the skin (known as the epidermis), and are usually caused by exposure to the sun.
How dangerous is skin cancer?
Depending on the type, skin cancer can develop rapidly and be dangerous to health if not treated early. Talk to your doctor if you have a new rash on your skin or notice changes in an existing tumour, tumour, or birthmark. Skin cancer has a high rate of treatment, but only if it is detected early.
Although skin cancer is more common in people with fair skin, people are exposed to the sun and so on, and it can be dangerous again if not treated in time. Therefore, it is important to know the survival rate of people with Skin Cancer.
And to know that we have to understand what the relative survival rate of 5 years is?
The 5-year relative survival rate compares people with the same type and stage of cancer to the general population. For example, if the 5-year survival rate of a relative of a particular category such as stag 0 of Melanoma Cancer is 90%, it means that people with that cancer on average live more than 5 years after being diagnosed with cancer.
And one of the most important things for any cancer patient depends on 3 things:
Type of Cancer
The Cancer Stage
Rapid Variation in Cancer or Slow Transmission Cancer, which means when cells grow too fast or too slowly.
The same is true of skin cancer, depending on the type of skin cancer, the stage of skin cancer at the time of diagnosis, and whether it has spread to other parts of the body due to rapid growth. Skin Cancer is treatable and harmless unless it spreads to other parts of the body.
So this is a good indication that skin cancer is not very dangerous or fatal, as it has a high mortality rate but all of this only works if your skin cancer is found in the early stages and treated quickly that is, getting it treated as soon as possible.
It is also important for a person to know about all four different types of skin cancer, its symptoms, treatment, and survival rate as people are less aware of skin cancer and its treatment. As well as keeping them safe from the sun's ultraviolet rays, one of the most common causes of skin cancer.
Ref: Melanoma skin cancer survival statistics | Cancer Research UK
Can You Die from Skin Cancer? Survival Rates and Prevention (healthline.com)
: Skin cancer - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic