Skin Cancer Awareness Month: Why not leave skin cancer untreated

dawnsears.com -  Get treatment for your skin cancer as soon as it's diagnosed. If screening for skin cancer ends the diagnosis, treatment should be carried out as soon as possible. But what happens if you decide not to treat skin cancer? This is what you need to know.

basal cell carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer diagnosed in the United States. While this type of skin cancer progresses slowly, it is still very important to treat it as soon as possible after diagnosis. Basal cell carcinoma rarely spreads to other parts of the body, but that doesn't mean it won't spread through the skin. Without treatment, basal cell carcinoma may slowly grow to cover a large area of   skin on your body. In addition, basal cell carcinomas have the potential to cause ulcers and permanently damage the skin and surrounding tissue. There is also the possibility of permanent disfigurement in the untreated area. It is important to note that basal cell carcinoma also appears most often on the face. What started as a small bump on the cheek can spread and cause permanent damage to facial tissue. Depending on how long the basal cell carcinoma has been left untreated, radiotherapy may be the only viable treatment option. In other cases, early treatment with Mohs surgery could have preserved more healthy tissue and eliminated the cancer completely.

squamous cell carcinoma

Squamous cell carcinoma is also a relatively slow-growing type of skin cancer. However, it is still very dangerous not to treat this skin cancer. The most important reason for treating this cancer early is its ability to spread to the lymph nodes. Once squamous cell carcinoma reaches the lymph nodes and begins to spread from there, it becomes difficult to treat effectively. Squamous cell carcinoma is more serious when it develops on the skin around areas such as the face, lips, neck or ears. These areas are close to the lymph nodes, which means that it won't take long for this type of skin cancer to spread. To detect squamous cell carcinoma early, look for red, scaly patches of skin. If this cancer is left untreated for an extended period of time, subsequent treatment may require reconstructive surgery. This is especially common if squamous cell carcinomas on the face, lips, or neck are left untreated.

skin cancer

Skin cancer is one of the most dangerous types of skin cancer. When diagnosed and treated early, the cure rate is relatively high. But if left untreated, melanoma can have life-threatening consequences. This type of skin cancer is one of the most dangerous types of skin cancer: it spreads at an alarming rate throughout the body. In as little as six weeks, melanoma may be life-threatening because it has spread from the skin to other organs and tissues throughout the body. If caught early in a skin cancer screening test, melanoma can be removed with excisional surgery or Mohs surgery. If allowed to spread, treatment may require chemotherapy or radiation.

A skin cancer diagnosis can be frightening, but early and effective treatment is possible and recommended. If you have questions about abnormalities in your skin and would like to schedule an appointment for a skin cancer screening test, please contact the North Pacific Dermatology team to schedule an appointment today.