Understanding more about skin cancer, including how it looks and various treatment options available

Unlike other types of cancer, skin cancer has become common in the current world. In most cases, skin cancer is common in people of a certain race, especially whites. It is also common in albinism. This type of cancer is commonly associated with genetic or exposure to harmful radiation. As a result, regular screening for any type of cancer, including skin cancer, is recommended for early diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, if you have a history of skin cancer or suspect that you might have skin cancer and seek diagnosis, skin cancer Coral Gables specialists are here to your rescue. They are qualified and experienced in diagnosing and treating skin cancer and other types of cancer. Hence, if you are interested in learning more about its look and treatment options, read below.

What is skin cancer?

Skin cancer refers to uncontrolled skin cell division and growth like what takes place in other types of cancers. Uncontrolled growth of skin cells usually occurs in the layers of your skin or other types of cells found in your skin, including melanocytes, basal cells, or squamous cells. Among other types of cancer, skin cancer is more common, and it develops as a result of skin cell damage caused by ultraviolet rays of the sun or tanning booths. Avoiding ultraviolet light and wearing sunscreen while basking help reduce the risk of getting skin cancer. However, in other cases, they may not be effective and still get skin cancer. It can also be malignant like other types of cancer, thus allowing it to be spread from one part of the body to another if it is not diagnosed and removed early. Your healthcare provider, therefore, offers skin cancer examinations and screening for early diagnosis before advancing or becoming malignant.

What does skin cancer look like?

In most cases, when you have skin cancer, it begins with changes taking place on your skin whereby small sores may start forming on your skin that fails to heal. They instead change in terms of size and color. Usually, each type of skin cancer is different from the other in appearance, but also you can see the same type of skin cancer but look different from each other. Your skin cancer might appear scaly, bumpy, red, brown, smooth, shiny, crusty, or quick to bleed. Therefore, if you begin nothing suspicious developments on your skin, you should consult your primary provider or dermatologist. You are also required to closely monitor your birthmarks or moles for size, color, or elevation changes.

What are your treatment options available for skin cancer?

Your dermatologist usually creates an individualized treatment plan for your skin cancer depending on various factors such as the location of the cancer, size, and whether it has metastasized. The main cancer treatment is surgery to help remove the lesion or tumor. You can also decide to freeze cancer using cryosurgery and later take it off using excisional surgery. You can also decide to undergo Mohs surgery to do away with the cancerous cells and ensure the healthy cells surrounding the tumor are intact.

Others also incorporate other treatment options like chemotherapy to remove final cancer cells in your skin. Therefore, if you have skin cancer and seek treatment, you can get started by calling Martha Viera Dermatology for more consultations.