Skin cancer can develop at any stage of life. The good news about skin cancer is that while the risk is universal, when it’s caught and diagnosed early it’s nearly always treatable. The only way you can guarantee that you are knowledgeable about your skin’s health is to receive yearly skin cancer screenings with a licensed dermatologist.
At Dermatology and Skin Cancer Center in Windermere, Florida, Dr. Jeannette Hudgens and our medical team pride ourselves on providing skin cancer screenings to the greater Orlando area. We have extensive experience with skin cancer and will help you choose the treatment option that is best for you.
What are the Different Types of Skin Cancer?
There are three major types of skin cancer:
- Basal cell carcinoma (BCC). This is the most common form of skin cancer. While BCC is malignant, it is unlikely to spread to other parts of the body unless left untreated for long periods of time. As long as BCC is caught early, it is easy to treat. If it is left untreated, it can spread to other parts of the skin as well as the bones.
- Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). SCC is the second most common form of skin cancer. Like BCC, it is malignant but fairly slow to grow and spread. It is easy to treat if caught early. If left unchecked, it can spread to the tissues, bones, and lymph nodes, where it becomes much more elusive and difficult to treat.
- Melanoma. While melanoma is not nearly as common as basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, it is far more dangerous. In spite of being the most deadly of the three skin cancers, it is curable in its early stages. If melanoma is not caught early, it is much more likely than BCC and SCC to spread to other areas of the body and be deadly.
While each of these three types of skin cancer is associated with a different level of risk, all of them can be treated and cured if caught early.
Why Should I Receive Skin Cancer Screenings?
While there is no way to prevent skin cancer completely, receiving a yearly skin screening can help determine the current health of your skin. There are countless reasons you should receive yearly cancer screenings:
- Anyone can develop skin cancer. Twenty percent of Americans currently have skin cancer, with an estimated 3.5 million new cases diagnosed each year. Living in the Sunshine State puts you at an even greater risk than most people for contracting skin cancer because of the year-round exposure to sunlight.
- Skin cancer is nearly always treatable if caught early. This cannot be emphasized enough; early detection combined with treatment can cure skin cancer 95 percent of the time. Odds that good shouldn’t be overlooked.
- Skin cancer screenings are easy and fast. Screenings only need to be performed once a year and on average last a total of 20 minutes. A procedure this short can be worked into even the busiest of schedules.
At Dermatology and Skin Care Center, Dr. Hudgens and our experienced staff are always available to answer any of your questions about annual skin checks or skin cancer in general. Contact us today to schedule a consultation. We look forward to hearing from you!