Brief About Skin Cnacer

What is skin cancer?

Skin cancer occurs when skin cells are damaged, for example, by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Between 95 and 99% of skin cancers in Australia are caused by exposure to the sun.
Types of skin cancer

There are three main types of skin cancer:

* melanoma - the most dangerous form of skin cancer
* basal cell carcinoma
* squamous cell carcinoma

What Causes Skin Cancer?

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is the main cause of skin cancer. Energy from the sun actually is a form of radiation. It consists of visible light and other rays that people can't see. Invisible infrared radiation, for instance, makes sunlight feel hot. UV also is invisible, and causes sunburn and sun tan.

Early detection

The sooner a skin cancer is identified and treated, the better your chance of avoiding surgery or, in the case of a serious melanoma or other skin cancer, potential disfigurement or even death.

Treatment for Cancer

The basic types of treatment for cancer are: surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, and targeted therapy. Obviously, many of these treatment types also depend on the type of cancer, such as hormonal therapy. Surgery is not only used to help treat cancer, it is often used to diagnose it. Doctors often perform surgery on patients to get a "sample" of the possible cancerous tissue. Once discovered, particularly in the case of a tumor, surgery is performed to try and remove as much cancer as possible from the body.