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Detecting Squamous Cell Skin Cancer

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Written by Adrian Fletcher

Tuesday, 01 April 2008

by AdrianFletcher

Skin cancer is an increasingly common disease. This is probably due to a combination of more research into the disease leading to greater public awareness of the issue. And environmental and behavioral conditions changing in contemporary life. Skin cancer is broken down into three types - Basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common type of skin cancer. This article will discuss spotting squamous skin cancer and common characteristics of the disease.

The first signs of squamous cell carcinoma are a red spot or elevated area of skin on the surface or epidermis. As the carcinoma develops the area of skin affected will become larger and will have an irregular shape. The skin may become scaly or hard to the touch. Eventually a lesion may form and bleeding may occur. If left untreated the area of the carcinoma will grow at a fast rate.

Another case of squamous skin cancer is known as Bowen's disease. This is more common in older people (60 plus in most cases) and more common in women. It will appear as a red rash that is elevated from the surface layer of the skin. As it progresses the affected cells will become scaly and may form lesions.

A mature squamous cell carcinoma can often look like a large open ulcer on the surface of the skin. It will bleed often and require constant attention. The cancerous cells can form anywhere on the body but are more commonly found in areas that get most exposed to sunlight or other forms of UV rays. So look for them on the face, ears neck, upper back and arms.

As the condition is often in prominent positions (like the face) and is often very noticeable, it is usually picked up fairly quickly. Treatment generally involves removing the area of skin affected. This can be done through excision or by freezing the cells. It is a relatively straightforward procedure that can be done in a doctors surgery.

Preventing squamous skin cancer is obviously more desirable than ever having to treat it. The best way to prevent any skin cancer is to limit the amount of time you spend in the sun or appliances that expose the skin to UVA and UVB radiation (like sun beds). The length of time depends on your skin type but no matter what type it is you should avoid excessive sun tanning and sunburn.

If you must go out in the sun then wear protective clothing and a wide brimmed hat. Wear eye protection and sunscreen. You should reapply the sunscreen every few hours (or the recommended usage advice on the sunscreen bottle).

About the Author:

For more information on the first signs of skin cancer visit http://symptomsofskincancer.net. The site has details on diagnosing and treating skin cancer.

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