Skin cancer
| Causes & symptoms | Questions |  |
How to prevent skin cancer?
The best way to prevent skin cancer is to protect your skin from the sun.
You can do this by :
Staying out of the sun between 11am and 3pm. During these hours, more than 60% of the sun's UV radiation reaches the earth's surface
Using shade from trees, umbrellas, buildings or any type of canopy. UV radiation is reflective and bounces off surfaces like concrete, water and sand, causing you to burn even when you think you are protected
Wearing clothing that covers as much of the skin as possible, including the back of the neck. A shirt with long sleeves and a collar, trousers, skirts or long shorts that cover the legs are recommended. The best protection comes from closely woven fabric
Wearing a hat that shades the face, neck and ears. Hats should have at least an 8-10com brim
Using sunscreen with sun protection factor (SPF of 30+), and which is also broad spectrum and water resistant. Apply sunscreen 20 minutes before going out into the sun and reapply every two hours or after swimming or sweating
Protect your eyes with sunglasses
Protect infants and young babies from direct exposure to sunlight
Not using tanning beds and sun lamps
How do I know if I have skin cancer? Look for:
a new spot that is different from other spots on the skin around it
a sore that doesn't heal
a spot, mole or freckle that has changed in size, shape or colour
Diagnosis
Biopsy
the doctor will remove a small sample from the skin and examine under the microscope.
Treatment
Skin cancer is usually treated through surgery. Under certain circumstances, the doctor may recommend using chemotherapy or radiotherapy, which could also be combined with surgery to treat skin cancer.
Types of surgery include :
Mohs technique : the cancer is removed little by little and checked under the microscope immediately. The removal continues until only healthy tissue remains.
Cryotherapy : liquid nitrogen is sprayed over the growth to freeze and kill the skin.
Curettage with cautery : a local anaesthetic is given around the lump or spot, and the cancer is scooped out with a small sharp instrument called a curette. Electric current is then applied to stop bleeding and to destroy any remaining tumour.
Other methods :
Imiquimod and Photodynamic therapy : both using special cream to destroy the cancer
