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Author:
Gabe Mirkin, M.D.

There are three main types of skin cancers. Melanoma is a skin cancer that starts in moles and can spread rapidly through your body and kill you. Moles that have irregular borders and multiple colors should be removed to be checked for melanoma. Moles that have smooth circular borders and are of one color are almost never melanoma cancers.

The second type of skin cancer is called squamous cell cancer. These can occasionally spread through the body and be fatal.

The third and most common type, basal cell skin cancer, rarely spreads through the body and can be cured just by taking out 100 percent of the lesion. They are called cancers because they keep on growing through everything around them until they are completely removed. Basal cell skin cancers fall apart and feel like marshmallows when they are scraped. All a doctor has to do is to inject an anaesthetic into the lesion, scrape the basal cell cancer until he feels the hard resistance of normal skin. He then burns an area of normal skin around the lesion to guarantee the removal of the entire cancer.

You can suspect that you have a basal cell skin cancer when you develop a red scaly area on the surface of a light-exposed area of skin. That is probably an actinic keratosis that can often be removed just by applying a special cream called imiquimod. However, if you leave the red area in place, it can go deeper and became a skin cancer. You can suspect that the actinic keratosis has gone deeper when the surface feels rough like sandpaper. If you let it grow further, it can become an elevated area with a fine pearly border.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

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| Article Keywords: Skin Cancer

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Skin Cancer... Checking For Skin Cancer Skin cancer is one of the most prevalent forms of cancer in the world. It strikes any age group, and can be deadly if not treated directly. To that end, it's important to regularly perform self-examinations to ensure that you spot any problems early. In this article, we'll discuss exactly what you need to do to properly examine yourself for skin cancer. While examining yourself for skin cancer can be scary, it is a necessary procedure to perform considering that a full 1 in 5 people can be expected to contract some form of skin cancer throughout their lifetime. Doctors recommend that you check yourself for skin cancer monthly to ensure that you spot any problems early on. To check yourself for skin cancer, you need to have a few mirrors so that you can accurately see all parts of your body. The entire surface area of the body needs to be checked for skin cancer, as it can appear anywhere. First, examine your head and your face, as well as your scalp, in the mirror. Gradually work your way down your body, ensuring that you're checking everywhere - commonly missed spots include underneath the breasts, and parts of the back and buttocks. Also be sure to check the genital areas as well as every part of the feet, including the webbing between toes. The main thing to look for when performing a self-examination for skin cancer is the appearance of irregular moles. Malformed moles can result in malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. If you're looking on your body and you find that a mole is asymmetrical, with one side of the mole appearing different than the other side, you may want to consult a doctor. Also, most moles complete their growth before age twenty. If a mole on your body begins growing past age twenty, you should also speak to a doctor. Check for...