Alex Ram

The diagnosis of skin cancer can be devastating. It is a scary time and you may be wondering what you should do next. If your skin cancer has been detected in its early stages your chance of survival is very good.When you catch skin cancer early, you can have it removed and stop the cancer before it has a chance to take hold. Be sure to be pro-active about keeping skin cancer at bay. When you find it early on, you have a good chance of defeating it.During skin cancer's first stages you will learn whether or not you have a non-melanoma skin cancer or melanoma. In the early stages, the survival rate is quite good for both. With basal cell carcinoma, spread past second stage is rare. For that reason, the prognosis for this type of skin cancer is generally quite good.If it is not stopped, melanoma skin cancer will advance rapidly past stage I and into stage II. That is why it is important to take immediate steps if you have a diagnosis of melanoma. If it is detected during stage I or II, melanoma has an almost 100% survival rate over five years. If detected at stage III, the survival rate decreases to sixty percent. This is quite a drop and makes it clear that early detection makes a big difference in success of treatment of melanoma skin cancer.It is very important that you do a self exam at least once a month. See your physician regularly and be sure that a skin check up is included in your regular physical. Anytime you notice any suspicious lesions on your skin, be sure to see your doctor right away. If a mole or discoloration begins to change in color or shape, be sure to get to your doctor quickly.You should also check with your doctor if you have a wound that will not heal. Obtain the description of what a melanoma skin cancer looks like from your doctor so that you have a good idea of what you are looking for when you do your self exams. You must be able to identify possible skin cancer.Early stages of skin cancer can be relatively small in size, about the size of a pea, and progressively grows larger. Eventually other organs will become involved as the cancer progresses through the body. Once this happens the survival rate will drop and other forms of treatment, aside from removal of the cancer, will be necessary.Skin Cancer is a growing concern for everyone . All the times when we have been told to go and play in the sun as children is now reappearing in the form of Skin Cancer.