preview

Informative Essay On Skin Cancer

Good Essays
Open Document

Cancer is a disease that affects the lives of so many people. Everyone probably knows a person that is or has been afflicted by this monster, whether it is a family member, friend, or neighbor. There are many different forms of cancer including breast cancer, leukemia, lung cancer…the list goes on. One form of cancer that hits home for myself and my family is skin cancer as we have had some family members and other family friends taken away from skin cancer. There are many different forms of skin cancer; it can be minor or very aggressive depending upon which type one has. Specifically, this paper will focus on discussing the most dangerous form of skin cancer, melanoma. The skin helps protect against heat, sunlight, injury, and infection. Furthermore, it stores water and fat and controls temperature (“Melanoma Treatment”). Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that anyone can get. When treated early, the cure rate is nearly 100 percent; however, if melanoma spreads without notice, it can be extremely deadly. Doctors believe that the number of deaths related to melanoma could be reduced if people knew the signs and checked to examine for these signs regularly. When checking skin, one should look for the ABCDEs – asymmetry, border, color, diameter, evolving (“Melanoma”). …show more content…

These abnormalities include strange color or odd shapes. In the early stages, melanoma may not cause any symptoms that one may feel; however, in some cases, it will itch, bleed, and even cause sharp pain. These are not the only symptoms associated with this form of skin cancer. Sometimes, melanoma may appear as a brown or black streak underneath fingernails and toenails. Other times, it may just appear to be a bruise that will not go away (“Melanoma”). If one sees or feels any of these abnormalities, it is a good idea to get it looked at by a

Get Access