Skin cancer
All the facts at a glance

Skin cancer – early detection prevents the spread of cancer cells
A diagnosis of skin cancer throws those affected off course and turns their lives upside down from one moment to the next. How did the cancer develop, is it curable, has it already spread? Skin cancer is a generic term that covers various forms of malignant skin disease. Anyone who regularly checks their skin for changes and, if in doubt, has a screening carried out promptly has a good chance of recovery and can protect themselves against the dangerous spread of cancer cells. Early diagnosis is essential for malignant skin cancer, as the success of treatment depends on the size and depth of the melanoma. Here you can find out how skin cancer develops and how to recognize it, what types there are and which treatments are successful in practice.
How does skin cancer develop?
Skin cancer develops as a result of negative influences on the skin. UV radiation, hereditary diseases and a genetic predisposition can lead to cell changes and thus to skin cancer. If the genetic material of the cells is damaged, they mutate and melanomas develop. There is no prevention against this skin disease. However, you can protect your skin from malignant cell mutations by avoiding sunburn and protecting your skin in the long term. Malignant cell mutations rarely occur acutely. Cancer develops slowly and begins with a small, barely noticeable change on your skin. If the diagnosis is made at this stage, the risk of spreading can usually be avoided and the disease can be completely cured. If the melanoma continues to grow unhindered, the skin cancer can spread not only throughout the skin but also to your internal organs.
What does skin cancer look like?
In principle, skin cancer can present itself in various forms. White skin cancer, for example, remains undetected for a long time as the small, waxy elevation on the skin feels like a pimple. In the case of black skin cancer, dark pigmented areas form which have a raised surface with a rough texture. Nevertheless, in the early stages there is a risk of confusion with a birthmark or a mole. However, red spots, scarred skin changes and flat, yellowish-red elevations can also be a symptom of skin cancer. White skin cancer is often mistaken for a scabbed, poorly healing wound. Sometimes there may be slight bleeding, especially if you scratch the affected area and try to remove the scab. Due to its many forms, skin cancer is hardly recognizable by the layperson, so an early examination is recommended for all skin changes.
What causes skin cancer?
The link between the risk of skin cancer and UV radiation is a fact and cannot be denied. Frequent sunbathing and sunburn promote the development of melanoma. You are also exposed to dangerous radiation in the solarium, which increases the risk of skin cancer. But not only sun worshippers can develop skin melanomas. A genetic disposition and hereditary diseases are also possible. Chemicals can also promote skin cancer. The most common cause of the disease is ultraviolet radiation and mainly affects people who have had frequent sunburns or who go to the solarium several times a week.
What are the different types of skin cancer?
Skin cancer is divided into three types. White skin cancer is often referred to by laypeople as a benign cancer. However, even if it is less dangerous than black skin cancer, the second type, it is still a skin disease with an urgent need for treatment. Merkel cell carcinoma and Kaposi’s sarcoma are rarer. White skin cancer occurs most frequently. It is a malignant cell change which, however, hardly forms metastases and is therefore the most curable of all types of cancer. Black skin cancer is more dangerous as it spreads quickly through the body and metastasizes to the organs. But even with this type of cancer, there are different types of melanoma that differ in their aggressiveness.
What treatment methods are available?
When it comes to cancer treatment, most patients think of chemotherapy or radiotherapy. In advanced stages and when the cancer has already spread, these forms of treatment are common and the only chance of fighting the disease. If skin cancer is detected at an early stage, surgical removal of the altered cells can bring the hoped-for treatment success. In the case of purely superficial white skin cancer, icing or scraping off the altered cells can also lead to healing. Whether concomitant therapy is necessary depends on the individual case and the stage of the skin cancer. The following can also be used for superficial skin cancer photodynamic therapy. This involves a combination of drug treatment and irradiation with long-wave light, which causes the tumor cells to die and prevents new growth. Immunotherapy is increasingly being used for skin cancer in the early stages. It specifically attacks the damaged cells without damaging the healthy surrounding cells. In the case of advanced skin cancer, or if the treatments listed do not promise success, the doctor will recommend chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
Are there different treatment methods for different types of skin cancer?
The majority of all types of treatment are mainly used for white skin cancer. If you suffer from black skin cancer, chemotherapy will usually be used. The reason for this is the risk of spread, which cannot be avoided with immunotherapy or purely surgical removal of the tumor. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are holistic treatment methods whose effect is not limited to a local area. Which method is recommended and carried out in each individual case depends not only on the type of skin cancer but also on the patient’s age and general state of health.