What is skin cancer called?
Skin cancer happens when the normal cells of your skin start growing abnormally and start multiplying at a certain pace. This multiplication of cancer cells leads to the formation of a mass & is called the tumor. If these tumors are malignant, then they have cancer-causing properties. The growth of these cells isn't under the control of a normal human being although fast curing treatments are available today. In 2020, more than 1 lakhs of Americans were detected with skin cancer cells in their body. The death due to this disease was around 7000 plus. Skin cancer has been widely spreading at a fast pace for the last 5 years. The fast-spreading of cancer cells and their growth is called metastasis. The tumor can travel easily via the stream of your blood to other body parts. It can further be highly toxic for your body and life.
In this article, we have covered various sections to determine what skin cancer is called in general.
Basics of Skin
The basic things that you should know about your skin are written below -
Skin is the largest organ of your body.
Skin regulates your body temperature.
The skin has the potential to stock fats & water.
The skin protects you from unseen injuries & infections.
Skin produces vitamin D.
There are three layers of skin - Dermis, Epidermis & Hypodermis.
Basics of Skin Cancer
Below are the basics of skin cancer. You might come across the following terminologies and words that you should have an idea to understand other things in a better way.
The term Actinic keratosis is a form of rough and scaly skin. It's of red or brown color in general. It holds the strong potential of getting converted into a squamous cell carcinoma.
The term Nevus is referred to as a body mole. The circumstance when moles of your body grow abnormally, it's called dysplastic nevi. It holds the high scope of forming a melanoma skin cancer.
And only a small percentage of people get Malignant melanoma. It is a very presumptuous form of skin cancer that spreads to other body parts at a rapid rate.
Commonly an individual has almost 10 to 30 moles in his entire body. They can be flat or round-shaped. These moles hold only a 1% chance of converting into skin cancer. Although, if you come across a mole that seems to have a different appearance than other moles, then getting examined is the best thing you can do.
Most people get two types of skin cancers - basal cell carcinomas skin cancer and squamous cell carcinomas skin cancer.
Dysplastic nevi are not cancer cells yet they hold high chances of converting into cancer cells. Many individuals have 100 or more Dysplastic nevi in their bodies.
What is skin cancer called?
You can call skin cancer by the four different names, each type of it is different from the other one.
Squamous cell carcinoma: The origin of squamous cell carcinomas takes place due to the squamous cells that are scaly and flat in shape. Its spreading rate to other body parts is not more than 2% to 5% overall. The leading cause of getting squamous cell carcinomas skin cancer is the exposure of your body to the sun. You might be unconsciously taking in too many ultraviolet sun radiations that in turn led to the formation of the squamous cell carcinomas skin cancer. The skin that's more damaged due to the sun rays, X-rays, skin burns, or toxic chemicals are highly likely to develop squamous cell carcinomas skin cancer. It is known to be the second-largest widely spread skin cancer after Basal cell carcinoma.
Basal cell carcinoma: They're round in shape and are present normally in the lower epidermis. This cell leads to the formation of 80% of skin cancers. People who have taken radiation therapy earlier especially in childhood or have spent years in sun rays are prone to catching it. It's generally less risky and cured over time without scattering to other body parts due to its slow growth. In Many cases, the Basal cell carcinoma skin cancers & Squamous cell carcinoma group together, and that situation of skin cancer is called keratinocyte carcinoma. They originate from the keratinocyte skin cells.
Melanoma: The melanoma type of skin cancer starts from the melanocytes which are a meeting point for the dermis and epidermis. The melanin pigments are produced by such cells and it is also responsible to provide the skin its actual fleshy color. This type of skin cancer is a very serious kind of cancer and is rarely found. It contributes to only 1% of all types of skin cancers.
Merkel cell cancer: This type of cancer can also be called neuroendocrine carcinoma skin cancer. It is said to be one of the rarest seen forms of skin cancer. However, those who have it might deal with life-threatening problems. It is very aggressive and leads to its rapid growth. Your neck & head area are very much prone to catching this cancer type. The scalp beneath the skin, hair follicles, and other hormone-producing areas are the spots that lead to this cancer's cell formation.
Key Takeaways
Skin cancer is a widely spread disease today and it can take off many lives if it is treated over the right time frame. Skin cancer is called by different names because of its different types. Some of its types are more dangerous than others. To understand the concept of skin cancer cells better, you need to get familiar with the basics of skin cancer terminologies. When you consult the doctor, he might inform you about having skin cancer through some different names like Squamous cell Carcinoma, Basal cell carcinoma, Melanoma, or Merkel cell cancer. All of these are skin cancer only, so don't get confused at that time of consultation. Get the complete background information about it and proceed with the treatment as soon as you find out about having skin cancer cells in your body.
Reference
https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/skin-cancer-non-melanoma/introduction