Understanding skin cancer: Prevention and treatment

Effective prevention and treatment of skin cancer, a prevalent global issue, identifying its types and risk factors, along with early detection, is essential.

What is skin cancer?

Skin cancer is most commonly an abnormal growth of squamous and basal cells in the epidermis layer of the skin. Unrepaired DNA damage and the accumulation of gene mutations result in accelerated cell division and malignancy. Skin cancer shows increasing incidence rates worldwide; one out of five Americans will develop skin cancer by age 70.

What are skin cancer types?

There are three major types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and malignant melanoma (MM). Other rarer types of skin cancer are dermatofibrosarcoma (DFSP), cutaneous lymphomas, adnexal tumours, and Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC).

What are the risk factors for skin cancer?

Both environmental…