Terminal skin cancer is basically a form of cancer that cannot be cured. Skin cancer is probably one of the most treatable forms of skin cancer, with some of the best survival rates. When skin cancer is caught early, most (if not all) people will never see the disease develop into a terminal stage.
Identification
Skin cancer is essentially the growth of cancer cells within the tissues of the skin. The type of skin cancer a person has is really dependent on the type of cells within the epidermis that are affected with the abnormal growth. Melanoma is a cancer of those cells that are responsible for the pigment of a person's skin. Basal cell carcinoma is a cancer within the tissue of the outer layer of someone's skin. Squamous cell carcinoma is ultimately a cancer affecting the skin's surface (those cells just above the basal cells).
Causes
Most forms of skin cancer are caused by ultraviolet radiation, be it from the sun or UV bulbs in tanning beds. Basically, these rays affect the DNA of the cells within the skin. They become damaged and abnormal, prompting the rapid growth characterized in cancer cells. However, UV rays are not the only reason skin cancer happens, since people have developed skin cancer on areas of the body that haven't been exposed to these rays. Genetics as well as certain chemicals can also affect the DNA of skin cells.
Early Stages
As with any form of cancer, skin cancer will generally be categorized, for lack of a better word, into stages based on certain factors of growth. In the earlier stages, which are 0 to II, the skin cancer will be isolated to the epidermis and dermis. While the cancer cells may be present, they have begun to affect the makeup of normal tissue. It essentially moves from the abnormal cells (as seen in Stage 0) to the formation of a small tumor, no larger than a peanut (as seen in Stage I), to the growth of this tumor, any size larger than a peanut (as seen in Stage II).
Later Stages
When left untreated, skin cancer can progress, just as any other form of cancer can, greatly affecting a person's prognosis. In the later stages, which are III and IV, the skin cancer will no longer be isolated to the epidermis and dermis, spreading into the muscle, bone and lymph nodes (as seen in Stage III) as well as more remote areas of the body, like the lungs, brain and kidneys (as seen in Stage IV). This makes early detection one of the most important treatments for skin cancer. As the cancer cells are left to grow, it becomes more and more difficult to care for, reducing a person's chances of recovery. What was once treatable may quickly become terminal.
Prognosis
Whether skin cancer is terminal or not really depends on the stage of the cancer as well as the location and type. As you get into the later stages of the disease, you'll generally see a decline in the survival rate. When the disease is caught early, as would be the case in Stages 0, I and II, the rate of patient survival is almost 100 percent, since skin cancer is a highly treatable disease. But, the later stages (III and IV) do not offer the same prognosis. Actually, Stage IV has only a 16% patient survival rate.
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