Skin cancer causes the abnormal growth of skin cells. It is one of the commonly occurring cancers. This type of cancer can develop in any part of the body. It usually happens when the skin is highly exposed to the sun. The sun’s ultraviolet rays damage the DNA of the skin. Over the phase of time, it results in the cancerous growth of the cells.
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Anyone can get affected with skin cancer. But, certain things can increase the risk factor of skin cancer. These risk factors include:
- lighter skin
- a history of sunburns
- a personal or family history of skin cancer
The survival rate of skin cancer depends on the type of cancer. Certain types of skin cancer are life-threatening. If not treated early, they can be proved fatal for life. And there are certain which comes with the initial death rate.
Stages of skin cancer
If you have received the diagnosis of skin cancer, the next step is to know the stage. Staging helps the doctors to determine how well cancer has spread into the body. Moreover, staging procedures are common with melanoma and Merkel cell carcinoma. This is because they are more likely to spread in the body. There comes basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma that doesn’t involve staging. These are treatable. However, your doctor may recommend you the level of the stage so that it becomes easy to identify.
The staging of skin cancer is based on the growth or size of the cancer cells. It is further related to the high risk which can be determined by:
- If the cell is 2 millimeters thick
- cells have spread to lower levels of skin
- If the cells have spread to the area surrounding nerves
- cancerous cells start appearing on the lips and ears
- If it starts appearing under the microscope
The general breakdown of stages of skin cancer follows as:
- Starting stage: It happens when the cancer cells have not spread to the surrounding area.
- First stage: At this stage, the cancer cells are nearly 2 cm across or less. This stage comes with no high risk.
- Second stage: At this stage, the cancer cells are nearly 2 cm and come with high-risk features.
- Third Stage: At this stage, the cancer cells mostly spread to the bones of the face and nearby the lymph nodes.
- Fourth stage: This is the last and highly active stage where the cancer cells have spread to internal organs and the lymph nodes.
Types of skin cancer and their survival rate
The four most common types of skin cancer include:
Melanoma
Melanoma is the type of skin cancer that is formed in melanocytes. Melanocytes are the type of skin cells producing melanin, a kind of pigment that is responsible for skin color. Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer. Melanoma skin cancer creates brown or black spots on the skin. It can develop anywhere in the body. The spots can appear in the form of irregular borders, shades, and different colors.
Survival Rate: Melanoma is deadly cancer. It can be treated only when it is living in its early stage. It comes with a five-year survival rate. There are three stages, i.e, 0,1,2 with 98.4% survival rate.
Basal cell carcinoma
It is the most common type of skin cancer. It can account for 80 percent of diagnoses. This type of cancer is formed in the basal cells of the body. It is found in those parts of the body which are heavily exposed to the sun. Although this type of cancer grows slowly, it usually spreads to other body parts. It becomes life-threatening if not treated timely.
Few of the symptoms of basal cell carcinoma include:
- raised red patches
- pink growths with raised edges
- pink or red shiny bumps
- an open sore that doesn’t heal
Survival Rate: Basal Cell Carcinoma comes with a lower risk of damage. However, it comes with a 100 percent survival rate of five years.
Squamous cell carcinoma
Such types of cancer cells come with a death rate. They are slow-growing and can develop on the face, neck, chest, ears, and back of hands. Symptoms of Squamous cell carcinoma include raised bumps, lumps with a slight indentation in the center, open sores that are difficult to heal, rough, scaly, and red patches.
Survival Rate: These types of cancer cells are also lower-risk cancer cells. The survival rate of Squamous cell carcinoma for at least five years is nearly 95%.
Merkel cell carcinoma
These cells are developed in Merkel cells. Merkel cells are located below the top layer in the surrounding area of nerve ends. A person may require aggressive treatment if he/she gets affected by Merkel cell carcinoma. This type of cancer is difficult to treat and is rarely found. It is more common in people above the age of 50. It becomes fatal when spread to the brain, lungs, and bones. The early sign of such types of cancer cells includes the development of flesh bumps and nodules.
Survival rate: Stage 0,1 and 2 of the Merkel cell comes with a 78% survival rate. It is 51% for stage 3 and 17% for stage 4.
Conclusion:
The survival rate of skin cancer depends on the type of cancer and the stage at which it is diagnosed. The earlier a person is diagnosed with skin cancer, the better are the outcomes. Cancer is one of the hard-to-treat diseases. It comes with its effects and cell growth. It becomes even more complex when it spreads to other parts. The Be Well Hospital is the best multi-specialty hospital in Chennai. It is still living in its establishing order that caters to provide accessible and affordable services. The hospital has been set up in almost 10 different locations. It comes with different specialties to provide treatment for all under one roof.