Skin cancer is an uncontrollable growth of abnormal cells in the outermost layer of the skin (which is also known as the epidermis). Skin cancer can be caused by various things, including overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun. UV rays can damage skin cells if they are overly exposed to the sun. This damage can also add up and change the texture of the skin, have a permanent effect on skin aging, and possibly lead to skin cancer. 

These cancers can appear as flat, firm, pale, or yellow areas (looks similar to a scar). However, if it’s bad, it can appear as flat reddish or brownish patches in the skin often with a rough, scaly, or custard surface. They grow very slowly and usually occur on the sun-exposed areas of the body such as your face, ears, neck, lips, and the back of the hands. However, some, especially most skin cancers can grow very quickly. It can sometimes even be life-threatening if the cancer is not treated in 6 weeks. 

Although the topic is not often brought up, skin cancer itself is one of the most common cancers in the world. In the United States, the current estimate for Americans to develop skin cancer in their lifetime is a ratio of one in five. Ages around 20-24 and more steeply in males from around age 55-59 tend to cause skin cancer easily.

The risk and danger of skin cancer can vary amongst one another, but it is a curable/ preventable cancer. Nutrition such as vitamin E and sunscreen or enough sunlight can prevent the spread or development of skin cancer. Skin cancer can spread to nearby tissues or other areas of your body if it is not caught in an early stage. With the identification and diagnosis in an early stage, skin cancer can be easily cured or removed. However, if the cancer cells are found or diagnosed inside the lymph nodes, further treatment is essential…especially chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or lymph node dissections. 

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