Early Stages Of Skin Cancer
Early Stages Of Skin Cancer
The diagnosis of skin cancer can be devastating. It is a scary time and you may be wondering what you should do next. If your skin cancer has been detected in its early stages your chance of survival is very good.
It is important that skin cancer be caught early enough to begin removing the skin cancer or stopping it in its tracks. You must do your part to catch your skin cancer. Early stages are your best chance to beat it.
In the first stages of skin cancer you will find out whether you have a non-melanoma skin cancer or a melanoma skin cancer. Early stages for both of these have a very good prognosis for survival. A basal cell carcinoma is very rarely spread beyond a second stage so the prognosis is very good if this is the type of skin cancer that you have.
If you have been diagnosed with a melanoma skin cancer it can and does spread beyond stage I and II if it is not stopped. When it is found in stage I and II the survival rate for a melanoma over five years is almost 100%. If it is found at stage III the survival rate drops to 60%. This is a large drop and shows the importance of early detection as the biggest cure for melanoma skin cancer.
It is absolutely vital that you regularly check your skin at least once a month. A doctor should also see you regularly so that your skin can be checked as a part of your normal physical. If you notice anything suspicious on your skin you should have it checked out by a doctor immediately. This is especially true if you have a mole or discoloration that is changing shape and or color.
You should also check with your doctor if you have a wound that will not heal. Obtain the description of what a melanoma skin cancer looks like from your doctor so that you have a good idea of what you are looking for when you do your self exams. You must be able to identify possible skin cancer.
Early stages of skin cancer can be relatively small in size, about the size of a pea, and progressively grows larger. Eventually other organs will become involved as the cancer progresses through the body. Once this happens the survival rate will drop and other forms of treatment, aside from removal of the cancer, will be necessary.
