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by: AdrianFletcher
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Skin cancer seems to be getting a lot of attention of late. There are ad campaigns and public service announcements on television and radio. This may be due to the increased understanding of the disease or that the number of cases are rising and people need education on the subject. There are three types of skin cancer - malignant melanoma, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. This article will deal with detecting squamous cell carcinoma.

The early signs of squamous cell carcinoma are a red mark or spot forming on the top of the skin or epidermis. Squamous cell carcinoma is known to spread so the mark may get bigger and develop into an irregular shaped mark of blemish. Eventually the blemish may become scaly or hard. It may develop a lesion and bleed in some cases. If it isn't treated the carcinoma will spread but normal to surrounding skin cells on the surface of the skin.

Bowen's disease is another form of squamous skin cancer. This happens more commonly in older people (over 60) and women. Bowen's disease often looks like a red rash that is slightly elevated from the epidermis. Like other forms of the disease, the rash will become scaly to the touch and multiple lesions may occur.

A mature squamous cell carcinoma can often look like a large open ulcer on the surface of the skin. It will bleed often and require constant attention. The cancerous cells can form anywhere on the body but are more commonly found in areas that get most exposed to sunlight or other forms of UV rays. So look for them on the face, ears neck, upper back and arms.

People soon spot squamous cell skin cancer on the face as they are very conscious of their appearance. In these cases it is noticed in the early stages and can be treated successfully. Treatment could range from freezing the cancerous cells to excision. It is done in the doctor's surgery and can be a quick as 30 minutes.

Preventing squamous skin cancer is obviously more desirable than ever having to treat it. The best way to prevent any skin cancer is to limit the amount of time you spend in the sun or appliances that expose the skin to UVA and UVB radiation (like sun beds). The length of time depends on your skin type but no matter what type it is you should avoid excessive sun tanning and sunburn.

If you can't avoid being in the sun as you work outdoors or much of your leisure time is spent outside then take adequate protection. Wear protective clothing, like a wide brimmed hat (or some kind of head gear) and a shirt preferably long sleeved. also wear eye protection and a sunscreen.

About the Author

For more information on the first signs of skin cancer visit http://symptomsofskincancer.net. The site covers detecting and treating skin cancer.

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