Did you know?
Each year 14000 Australians are diagnosed with Melanoma and about 750,000 Australians for non-melanoma skin cancer. (Source: Melanoma Institute Australia). You’ll also be surprised to know that the most common cancer is skin cancer in New Zealand. Totaling about 82,000 diagnosed per year. It is the highest in the world. Melanoma incidences are 4 times higher in Australia and New Zealand than it is in the UK, US and Canada.
Skin cancer is most common on parts of the body exposed to the sun, but it can also develop in areas that don’t receive a lot of sun exposure. The most dangerous form of skin cancer is melanoma, which forms in the same skin cells as moles. It may initially appear as a harmless mole.
There are several types of skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The two most common types are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Both start in the basal layer of skin, where they are easily treated. Squamous cell cancer, on the other hand, is more deadly and difficult to treat. Fortunately, both types can be treated if detected early.
Because of the increased awareness of the disease, more people are now being diagnosed with it. Earlier detection and treatment are now commonplace, making it possible to detect skin cancer earlier than ever. However, the process of skin cancer is not straightforward, and there are some important considerations for those prone to the disease. It is important to seek treatment for any abnormal moles, and the sooner the disease is caught the better.
Survival rates for skin cancer depend on many factors, including the location and extent of the cancer. However, at stage IV, 50 percent of patients will survive for at least one year and between 5% and 19% for five years. In addition to the mortality rate, non-melanoma skin cancers have similar survival rates compared to melanoma cancers. Furthermore, the cancers can spread to other areas of the body if not treated quickly.
Treatment for skin cancer depends on the type, location, and size of the tumor. The treatment may include surgery, medicated creams, or radiation therapy, or a combination of these. However, treatments for non-melanoma cancers vary widely, including surgery. The latter is typically performed by a surgeon in an operating room. Other treatments may involve medicated creams and laser therapy, which uses high-energy rays to destroy cancer cells.
This is the reason why Mole is here to spread the word about skin cancer and here and across the Tasman.