Karachi Fun

Cancer. Is there any more devastating word? How stupid would you feel if you were diagnosed with it and found out you could have prevented it. In this case, we are talking skin cancer.

Imagine sitting in a doctor’s office and being told you have cancer. Although cancer treatment has come a long way, it would still be a devastating moment.

What would your reaction be to such news. Panic? Shock? What would it mean to your life, your family, your friends if you found out you had cancer. What if it is terminal?

Cancer and death, the two words just go together notwithstanding the experiences of Lance Armstrong. Skin cancer is often treatable. More importantly, you could have prevented it.

So you have skin cancer. What exactly does that mean? Well, you have an abnormal growth in an area of your skin. It can be found in different layers of the skin, but the epidermis is most common.

Skin cancer is often associated with, surprise, exposure to the sun. Repeated sun burns can be one cause. So can extensive exposure over time. Our atmosphere is letting in more ultraviolet radiation as well, which is increasing the number of cases.

Cancerous skin growth is actually a catch all phrase. This particular cancer breaks down into three different types with each having its own outcome.

When it comes to this type of cancer, there is serious and less serious diagnosis. Malignant melanoma is the worst. It is fatal if not treated early, but is the rarest form diagnosed.

Strange as it may sound, the second sub-cancer can be hereditary. It is basal cell. It is also the most frequently diagnosed skin cancer. The good news is it is rarely fatal and can be treated.

Our final sub-category of skin cancer is Squamous cell. It falls somewhere between the previous two. It is diagnosed less than basal, but more than melanoma. It can even have a hereditary element. If treated early, it is curable. If not, it can be fatal.

Any cancer diagnosis is obviously a bad thing. The ironic and sad fact of skin cancer is you can reduce your risk to practically zero. You just need to take common sense steps.

Picture a warm, sunny day. What are people doing? They are lying out in the sun. They are going on walks. They are doing some landscaping. All of these things put them at risk for skin cancer.

Should you avoid being outside. Nope. All you have to do is take precautionary steps. First and foremost, wear sunscreen! How hard is that? It will protect you from the damaging rays of the sun and the potential of skin cancer.