Exposure to the sun is the
number one risk factor for any type of skin cancer. Many things on the
risk factor list cannot be controlled, such as age, family history, eye
color, etc., but you can take steps to protect your skin from the sun.
Also remember that UV rays travel through clouds, so skin needs to be
protected on cloudy and overcast days as well.
Always use sunscreen
and lots of it (15 SPF or higher is recommended, talk to your
dermatologist or doctor about what is right for you)
As much as possible, avoid
direct sunlight between 10:00 a.m.
and 4:00 p.m.
Wear wide sunglasses
with 99%-100% UV absorption to protect the skin around your eyes as well
as your eyeballs
Do not use sunbeds for
tanning
Wear a hat to shade
that provides shade for your face, neck, and ears (but do not neglect to
use sunscreen on those areas as well)
Hang out in the shade
as much as possible
Cover up with protective
clothing when you are in the sun
Staging
When doctors know the extent of a disease, how big it is and how far it has
spread, it helps them to know which treatment will be most appropriate
(effective) for that particular case. To simplify this, the cancers are
classified into the following 5 stages:
Stage 0—This stage is also known as carcinoma in situ. At this point,
the cancerous cells are contained in the top layer of skin in a small area.
Stage 1—At this stage, the cancer has not spread and is less than 2
cm across.
Stage 2—The cancerous lesion is now wider than 2 cm, but has not
spread out.
Stage 3—The cancer has invaded other tissues beneath the epidermis
and has possibly moved into the lymph nodes.
Stage 4—The non-melanoma cancers rarely reach this stage, where the
cancer has spread to another part of the body.