What is Importance of Annual Screenings

Skin cancer is that the commonest style of cancer, most likely creating up over 1/2 all diagnosed cases of cancer, in step with the Yankee Cancer Society (ACS). The incidence of carcinoma is rising dramatically within us. According to the Yankee Academy of medicine (AAD), skin cancer is that the deadliest style of carcinoma, accounting for over seventy-five p.c of all deaths from carcinoma, about 8,700 last year alone.

With early detection, melanoma is highly curable. “The average five-year survival rate for people whose skin cancer is detected and treated before it spreads to the liquid body substance nodes is ninety-eight p.c,” cites the AAD. They conjointly say that there’s an instantaneous correlation between the thickness of the skin cancer and survival rate.

Preventative screenings save livesâ€” period. If you have been adjourning your annual skin communicating, do not delay any further. It is conjointly counseled that you simply examine your own skin for abnormalities, ideally once a month. If you discover something suspicious, build a meeting along with your health care skilled. Skin cancer is additional common in men, thus make sure to encourage the males in your life to induce screenings similarly.

Melanoma Warning Signs
The Melissa K. Bambino Melanoma Foundation sites these melanoma warning signs on its website:

Enlarging pigmented spot or mole
Changes in the color of an existing mole
Changes in characteristics of skin over the pigmented spot, such as changes in size or shape
Bleeding or breaking open

Also, you can use the A-B-C-D-E guide developed by the American Academy of Dermatology:

A. ASYMMETRY: One half unlike the other half
B. BORDER Irregular: Scalloped or poorly circumscribed border
C. COLOR Varied: From one area to another, shades of brown and tan; black; sometimes white, red or blue
D. DIAMETER: Larger than 6mm as a rule (diameter of a pencil eraser)
E. EVOLVING: A mole or skin lesion that looks different than the rest or is changing in size, shape, or color

Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer Warning Signs
There are many types of non-melanoma cancers, but the two most common types are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. More than 2 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are diagnosed each year, leading to about 2,000 deaths. According to the AAD, these are the early signs to be on the lookout for:

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC)
This is the most common type of skin cancer. It most often appears on skin that gets a lot of suns, such as the face, scalp, neck, hands, and arms, but can appear elsewhere as well.
It may look like a:

Reddish patch of dry skin that won’t heal
Flesh-colored (or pink, red or brown) pearl-shaped lump
A pimple that just won’t clear
Sore that bleeds heals and then returns
The scar that feels waxyâ€” may be skin-colored, white, or yellow
Group of slow-growing, shiny pink or red growthsâ€” look like sores, often scaly and bleed easily
Flat or sunken growthâ€” feels hard, maybe white or yellow

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)
This common type of skin cancer often appears on skin that got lots of suns, such as an ear, face, bald scalp, neck, or arm, but it can appear elsewhere on the body as well.

SCC often has a reddish color and often has the following characteristics: