Skin Cancer

About Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Non-melanoma skin cancer refers to a group of cancers that slowly develop in the upper layers of the skin.

Symptoms of Skin Cancer

The first sign of non-melanoma skin cancer is usually the appearance of a lump or discoloured patch on the skin that persists after a few weeks and slowly progresses over months or sometimes years. This is the cancer, or tumour.

Treatment

Surgery is the main treatment for non-melanoma skin cancer. It involves removing the cancerous tumour and some of the surrounding skin. The treatment used will depend on the type, size and location of the non-melanoma skin cancer you have. Other treatments for non-melanoma skin cancer include:

• freezing (cryotherapy)
• anti-cancer creams
• radiotherapy
• photodynamic therapy (PDT)

Prevention

• Non-melanoma skin cancer is not always preventable, but you can reduce your chance of developing it by avoiding overexposure to UV light.
• You can protect yourself from sunburn by using high-factor sunscreen, dressing sensibly in the sun, and limiting the amount of time you spend in the sun during the hottest part of the day.
• Sunbeds and sunlamps should also be avoided.