Informative Speech On Skin Cancer

The first thing you see when you look at a person is their skin. It’s the largest organ of the body that’s made of epithelial tissue. It consists of two main layers, the epidermis and the dermis. As it’s the first thing in contact with the environment around us, it acts as a protective layer.

Skin cancer is the rapid uncontrollable growth of abnormal skin cells that’s usually triggered by ultraviolet radiation. When skin cells with damaged DNA grow rapidly they form tumors. (Skin Cancer Foundation, n.d.)These tumors can be either cancerous or noncancerous. When they’re cancerous they’re called malignant which means they’re harmful and can spread through the body. When they’re noncancerous they’re referred to as benign. Skin cancer is categorized
under two types: Melanoma and Non-melanoma. There are 3 main types of skin cancers. They’re mainly treatable and can be cured easily if they’re caught at an early stage but can cause disfigurement in some cases.

The first type of skin cancer is melanoma and is called Cutaneous Melanoma which occurs in the melanocytes.
It’s the most serious form of skin cancer as it’s always malignant. It can start from an already existing mole on the skin or may not even have a color or be slightly red. Melanoma can occur anywhere on the body but for men it mainly occurs on their backs and for women on the backs of their legs. It can be cured surgically if it was found at an early stage. It usually occurs on people over 50 years
old.

There is a simple guideline made up for moles that appear on the skin that can help you detect whether it’s a normal mole or melanoma, it’s called the ABCDEs of melanoma. This stands for Asymmetrical, Border, Color, Diameter and Evolve. If the mole on your body is not symmetrical, has an uneven or edgy border, a large diameter, and different shades of color and evolves over time, it’s most likely melanoma and should be checked at a dermatologist. (Skin Cancer Foundation, n.d.)

The other two types are non-melanoma cancer and they both rarely metasize. This means they don’t spread. One is the most common type of skin cancer. It’s mainly caused from the sun’s ultraviolet rays and radiation exposure as a child. It’s known as Basal Cell Carcinoma as it occurs on the basal cells that are present in the lower epidermis. It develops in areas that tend to be mostly exposed such as the neck, head and hands. It doesn’t progress quickly so it’s less likely to spread. BCC can appear in the form of a persistent sore that’s red and oozy. It can also be mistaken for eczema when it appears on the face. This type of cancer can be dangerous if it got overlooked as it can grow deep into the skin tissue and bone which can do a lot of damage and scarring.

The other type is Squamous Cell Carcinoma as it develops on cells called squamous cells on the epidermis. Like BCC, it’s also mainly caused by sun exposure but can also develop on skin that has been burnt, damaged by certain chemicals and exposed to x-rays. (Cancer.Net Editorial Board, 2012). It can look like an open soar and may bleed. It can cause disfigurement and be deadly if it was neglected and allowed to grow.

Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers to be diagnosed.
Its occurrence increased significantly due to the depletion of the ozone layer. Therefore the sun’s UV rays are much stronger and we’re at a larger risk of developing skin cancer. It all depends on an individual’s own concern and responsibility. Since most cases revolve around the exposure to the sun and sun burns, one must be cautious regarding this. Many people enjoy tanning to the extent of burning whether it’s from the natural sun or tanning beds. Therefore sunscreen should be used to protect the skin from such harmful rays. Sunscreen shouldn’t just be applied when you’re tanning, it should be applied regularly when you’re in the sun. Many believe that applying it once is enough, that’s not true. Sunscreen should be reapplied every 2 hours and if you’re doing activities that involve water or sweating it should be applied more often. SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor; it measures how well your sunscreen protects your skin from the UVB rays. Most dermatologists recommend using a SPF30 sunscreen. Although there are sunscreens with a higher SPF, they aren’t necessarily much better. Also, there should be some ingredients in the sunscreen like that helps protect from UVA rays. Even though UVB rays are considered more harmful as they cause the reddening and burns, caution should be taken against UVA rays. They not only damage skin cells and promote wrinkles, damage can be done to the eyes and it can weaken your
immune system. (Wang, n.d.)

Skin cancer doesn’t necessarily come to all those who get exposed to the sun. It depends on the person’s skin tone. People with fair light skin tones are always at a greater risk of developing skin cancer than those who have dark skin. Also if your skin tends to burn rather than tan, have freckles, moles and a history of sunburns, you’re more susceptible to developing skin cancer.
According to the World Health Organization, between 2 and 3 million non-melanoma skin cancers and 132,000 melanoma skin cancers occur worldwide each year. Also they estimated that a 10% decrease in ozone levels will result in an additional 300,000 non-melanoma and 4,500 melanoma skin cancer cases. (World Health Oganization, n.d.)