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There seems to be more awareness of skin cancer recently. This may be due to a combination of things. Firstly more understanding of the causes of the disease are prompting awareness campaigns on popular media like TV and radio. Also, more people are doing things that put them at risk to the disease. There is also a suggestion that certain changes in the environment might be the cause for the increasing number of people getting skin cancer. This article will cover what is squamous cell carcinoma, one of the three types of the disease.

The early signs of squamous cell carcinoma are a red mark or spot forming on the top of the skin or epidermis. Squamous cell carcinoma is known to spread so the mark may get bigger and develop into an irregular shaped mark of blemish. Eventually the blemish may become scaly or hard. It may develop a lesion and bleed in some cases. If it isn’t treated the carcinoma will spread but normal to surrounding skin cells on the surface of the skin.

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.

When the carcinoma gets bad they can look like an open ulcer and can weep blood fairly regularly requiring constant dabbing or putting some cream on the sore. The disease can happen all over the body but it is more common on areas of the body exposed to sunlight., particular the face, neck and ears.

Squamous skin cancer on the face is often noticed very quickly as people are very conscious of how their faces look. In other areas it may not be as easy to spot. However, once it is spotted, it can be treated pretty quickly. treatment involves removing the cancerous cells either by excision or freezing. This can be done with a local anesthetic in you doctor’s 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 spend a bit of time in the sunshine during recreational activities or maybe your working hours are outdoors then stay protected from UV rays. Wear clothing that shields your skin from the sun. Wear a hat, preferably with a wide brim to protect the face. Wear sunglasses as the eyes can also be sensitive to UV rays. And always cover uncovered parts of the body with a good, high protection factor sunscreen.

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Tags: Health