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The most common cancer in Australia, skin cancer is a disease of the body's skin cells caused mainly by cumulative exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from the sun.
Cancer can form if the cells multiply abnormally and form a malignant tumour. There are three main types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma.
There are two types of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC): basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
BCC is the most common form of skin cancer. It usually develops as a small, round, raised, red or pale spot. SCC is the second most common form of skin cancer.
BCC normally appears as a thickened red, scaly spot that may later bleed easily or ulcerate. Both types of NMSC mainly develop on areas of the body exposed to ultraviolet radiation and are usually treatable if detected early.
About 740,000 new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in Australia every year and 95% of these are treated successfully because the disease is usually cured if detected early. Overall, melanoma is the fourth most common cancer in Australia (behind prostate, colorectal and breast cancer), with over 10, 300 new cases diagnosed each year.
Melanoma is the most frequent type of cancer in both sexes, and accounts for one third of all cancers in female adolescents and one quarter in males.
In Tasmania in 2008 (latest figures) there were 279 cases of melanoma reported and 40 deaths.
Therefore, check your skin all over, including the soles of your feet. Use a mirror or ask a family member or friend to check areas that are hard to see, such as your back or behind the legs. Ask your doctor to check your skin.
References:
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Australian cancer incidence and mortality workbooks (ACIM). Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2010. Retrieved from http://www.aihw.gov.au/cancer/data/acim_books/index.cfm on July 28, 2010.
Stiller CA. International patterns of cancer incidence in adolescents. Cancer Treatment Reviews 2007; 33 (7): 631-645.
Cancer in Tasmania, incidence and Mortality 2008, Tasmanian Cancer Registry 2011.
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