How to Complete a Skin Cancer Check

Summer is in full swing, and with that comes a lot of sun exposure. It is important to complete a skin cancer check to identify any problems that you should bring to your doctor's attention.

Skin cancer comes in three kinds: squamous cell cancer, basal cell cancer and malignant melanoma. Each is dependant on the layer of skin they affect.

Squamous cell cancer occurs on the exterior side of the skin, amongst the basal cells. These are the outermost cells and are responsible for the 2nd most common type of skin cancer.

The basal cells are responsible for the most common type of cancer which makes up for 75% of all skin cancer diagnoses. Basal cell cancer is very treatable and the cancer cells are slow growing.

The last type of skin cancer is malignant melanoma. This type of cancer is the most serious, but thankfully is the least common. The melanocytes are the type of skin cell that is responsible for giving skin color. When these cells become malignant they grow very rapidly and may enter other body systems.

It is very important to complete a skin cancer check at least once a month to view all moles and notice any changes in size, shape or color. By knowing your skin, you can identify any changes quickly and have the doctor check them out. The less you view your skin, the less likely you are to notice when a mole or spot on your skin begins to chance and may become cancerous.

To check your body, examine each mole and look for the following symptoms of a cancer spot.

Look at the size of the mole. Most moles are less than 5 millimeters in diameter. If you have many moles larger than this size, you should be seen by your doctor or a dermatologist to have them examined further.

Next you will want to inspect the color of the mole. Most moles are brownish in color. Some color symptoms that may signal cancer could appear as red, blue, white, purple or black. If you notice the color of a mole changing over time, you should have it looked at by your doctor.