Skin cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the skin through the exposure to the ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Though not all skin cancers are dangerous or shows signs and symptoms, yet one can’t undermine the danger it poses when it reaches a more advance stage (i.e. the melanoma).

Managing skin cancer involves diagnosing, treating and preventing any form of skin cancer.

Treatment of Skin Cancer

There are various treatment options available for skin cancer and other form of precancerous skin lesions such as actinic keratoses are quite different depending on the size of the lesions, type or its depth. Skin cancer such as the basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas which are quite or less dangerous do not usually require any form of treatment except for skin biopsy which requires the remove of any form of growing bump.

Also, there are also other treatment options for skin cancer that can be considered by an individual; and they include:

• Surgery: This is the removal or cutting of the growing bumps or lesions on the skin. There are two types of surgery: excisional surgery (this involves the cutting out of cancerous tissues surrounding the other healthy skin and it’s quite appropriate for any type of skin cancer, also the Mohs surgery which is a surgical procedure for removing large, recurring or difficult – to – treat skin cancers which includes both the basal and squamous cell carcinomas.
• Radiation Therapy: After the use of surgery, some skin cancer don’t completely go away; therefore some doctors recommend the use of radiation therapy. This is the use of highly powered beams to kill the cancer cells in the skin.
• Chemotherapy: This is the process of killing cancer cells in the skin using drugs. Some cancers which are primarily lying on the top layer of skin, creams or lotions containing anti – cancer agents can be applied directly to the skin. But for skin cancer that have spread to other parts of the body (metastatic cancer), systematic chemotherapy can be used
• Freezing: The use of liquid nitrogen (cryosurgery) is used to kill actinic keratoses or small bumps on the skin (early cancers).
• Biological Therapy: This is the use of the body immune system to kill cancer cells.
• Photodynamic Therapy: This is destroying skin cancer cells with the combination of laser light and drugs that makes cancer cells sensitive to light.
• Curettage and Electrodessication or Cryotherapy: For quick removal of basal cell cancers or squamous cell cancers, doctors tend to use this procedure i.e. After removing most of a growth, he/she scrapes away layers of cancer cells using a device with a circular blade (curet). An electric needle destroys any remaining cancer cells. In a variation of this procedure, liquid nitrogen can be used to freeze the base and edges of the treated area.

Prevention of Skin Cancers

It should be noted to most individuals that not all skin cancers are preventable, but there are various ways in which people can protect themselves against skin cancers. These can be done by following the following prevention tips:

Avoiding The Sun During Middays: People who tend to live in areas where there are high radiation from the sun e.g. Northern Nigeria states, the hours between 9am and 4pm when the sun’s rays are the strongest; activities during this hours should be limited so as to prevent against skin cancer. This is because the ultraviolet rays around this time are usually high, and there is no / little clouds to protect the body from sunburns caused by these rays.

Wearing of Protective Clothes: Individuals need to wear proper and well-woven clothes that protect the whole body from ultraviolet rays. Also the use of sun-glasses can help protect the eye and the face from excessive ultraviolet

Avoid Tanning Beds: Lights used in tanning beds emit ultraviolet rays and can increase one’s risk of skin cancer.

Skin Examination: Just like women self-examine their breasts for any abnormalities, there is a need to often examine the skin for any form of growth or changes in moles, freckles, bumps or birthmarks. This will help an individual report any form of changes in the skin to their doctors.

Be Cautious Of Sun-Sensitizing Medications: Some common prescription and over-the-counter drugs, including antibiotics, can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight. There is a need to inquire from medical practitioners especially pharmacists about the side effects of any drugs (medication used).

Prognosis

For non – melanoma skin cancers (basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma), the prognosis is very good, due to the fact that both non – melanoma skin cancers are highly curable. In records by the World Health Organisation (WHO), no death has been recorded from individuals with basal cell carcinoma; and only few were recorded in the case of individuals with squamous cell carcinoma (especially individuals suffering from immunodeficiency diseases).

Early detections of skin cancers can lead to better outcomes, therefore it is best to self – examine one’s skin whenever there moles or spots which create suspicions, thereafter, seek a medical doctor’s advice on skin cancer screening.

Awareness is a key in identifying and treating skin cancers early.