Now when it comes to cancer, your mind might go to the worst possible thoughts it can think of. The word cancer can be very scary to hear, even if you aren’t experiencing it in any way and that’s understandable. It’s even scarier because for certain types of cancers, there’s no way to prevent it and if you’re an overthinker or a worrier, that’s something that could definitely have you worried for your future. Though you may not be able to prevent everything, what if there was a way to prevent a specific type of cancer? Would you jump on the opportunity to do so? Well, thankfully there is. You have the power to protect this major organ that your body has from cancer, isn’t that amazing?
A fact that can be very mind-blowing is that not all of the body’s organs are inside of the body. In fact, did you know that the largest organ the body has is your skin? Yes, your skin, the one you look at and touch every day.
The skin, nails, hair, oil glands and sweat all make up the integumentary system of the body. The body has skin because it uses it as protection. It protects the internal body from chemicals and bacteria. The secretions in the skin kill bacteria and the melanin pigment in the skin provides protection against ultraviolet lights that can cause damage to skin cells.
The skin also helps protect the body from certain temperatures and regulates the body’s temperature. When the skin becomes cold, the blood vessels in one of the three skin layers (dermis) compresses, which allows warm blood to pass through the skin. Then the skin becomes the same temperature as the cold it has been exposed to in order to conserve internal body heat. This is because the blood vessels are no longer sending the heat to the skin.
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What is skin cancer? Well, skin cancer is the fast growth of abnormal cells in the epidermis. The epidermis is the outermost layer of the skin. It is caused by DNA that has been unrepaired and leads to mutations. The mutations will then cause skin cells to multiply very fast and form tumors (malignant).
The main cause of skin cancer is the ultraviolet rays from the sun. Another main cause of skin cancer is tanning beds. One out of every 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by age 70.
The good news about skin cancer is that it can be prevented and if it has developed or you were diagnosed with it but it was detected early, your dermatologist can treat it to the point of eliminating it altogether.
There are many different types of skin cancers. The most common types of skin cancer are Melanoma, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Merkel Cell Carcinoma, and Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Melanoma is cancer that develops from the skin cells that produce the melanin pigment in your skin (melanocytes). They often resemble moles and can be found on any part of the body. This is the most dangerous form of the most common skin cancers.
Basal Cell Carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer where uncontrolled growth arises from the basal cells in the epidermis (outermost skin layer).
Merkel Cell Carcinoma is a rare and very aggressive form of skin cancer. It’s usually because of the virus Merkel cell polyomavirus and develops on sun-exposed body parts of people over 50.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma is the uncontrolled growth of squamous cells. It usually happens because of long-term UV radiation from the sun and or tanning beds.
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As stated before, skin cancer can be prevented. Here are some simple steps to protecting your skin and preventing skin cancer:
There are other steps to take when protecting your skin such as staying in the shade and covering up with as much clothing as possible (be mindful in warm climates).
Regardless of what you do and how you do it, just make sure it gets done. The key to preventing skin cancer is protecting your skin.
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