basal skin cancer

Basal skin cancer comes from too much exposure to the sun. Of course, the amount of sun exposure necessary for this to occur varies from individual to individual and depends on many factors. If you're overexposed to the sun, you won't see the damage for many years but, prevention, no matter at what point in your life, is always the best medicine.

It takes more than overexposing yourself once to create enough damage to cause basal cell carcinoma. It takes continued and prolonged sun exposure to do damage to the skin. You won't have any problems initially but often years later develop basal cell cancer. It often appears on the face because that's the part most often exposed but can appear on other parts of the body as well.

Fair-skinned people tend to have more cases than those with darker coloring. The pigments in the skin help the darker skinned people from developing skin damage from the sun. Normally people from African decent do not get basal cell skin cancer because of their pigmentation. The bad news is that once you've had it, there's a distinct possibility that you'll get another cancerous spot close to the area where the first one developed.

While there are some warning signs of basal skin cancer, the size, shape and color of the growth, you can't tell a benign suspicious growth from a cancerous one by simply looking at it. You need a biopsy to do that. During the biopsy the doctors take a small section of the growth and then check it under the microscope. The skin heals over but after the biopsy but often the cancer remains if it's malignant. In that case, you have to have the tumor surgically removed or it will spread.

Even though you see a smaller growth on top of the skin, the basal cell cancer is often far larger under the skin. It's similar to seeing an iceberg on a frozen ocean. The doctors have to go deep and the hole they make in surgery is far larger than the original growth. You'll have a scar after the surgical removal of basal cell cancer. There's no way to avoid it. The location of the tumor is important. The location of the scar is important. If the scar is located where the skin folds over, it often is hidden by the skins themselves.

Always consult with a physician if you have a suspicious growth. If left unattended, basal skin cancer can spread to other parts of the body. While it doesn't metastasize, travel to distant body parts, it does invade neighboring tissue. If you have a growth on the face, it can spread to the eye if it's in close proximity. Removing the entire cancerous growth is important to prevent it from spreading. Ultimately, if left unattended, basal cell skin cancer can lead to amputation of limbs or even loss of life.Wearing a sunscreen with a UV protection level of SPF 30 or higher, avoiding the sun during peak hours, normally around noon, regular check-ups and protective clothing are all good ways to help prevent excessive exposure to the sun that can cause basal cell skin cancer.

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