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What Are The The Early Stages Of Skin Cancer?
Posted by Paul Mahon at Jun 16th, 2009 in 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.
The best chance of keeping skin cancer under control is to be aware of your skin and notice any changes early enough to catch it before it progresses. Your odds of beating it greatly improve if you are proactive and catch it early.
During skin cancer’s first stages you will learn whether or not you have a non-melanoma skin cancer or melanoma. In the early stages, the survival rate is quite good for both. With basal cell carcinoma, spread past second stage is rare. For that reason, the prognosis for this type of skin cancer is generally quite good.
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.
If you have a wound that will not heal, it could possibly be melanoma. Check with your doctor as to what to look for when conducting a self inspection of your skin. Knowing what to look will make it a lot easier to report any condition that may be of concern.
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.
Tags: Cancer
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