Skin Cancer

Skin Cancer

Every hour one American is killed by skin cancer and every thirty seconds one American gets skin cancer.
Cancer is a deadly disease that alters the DNA of a skin cell and causes it to reproduce at a rapid pace. This
overproduction of cells can be harmful and in many cases deadly. Out of these cancers the most common
is Basal cell carcinoma. Many steps have been made in the treatment of Basal Cell Carcinoma, some have
been very successful and some not.
The cells that have the altered DNA are called malignant or cancerous cells. These cells are found in the
outer layers of the skin. The skin's main job is protect the body from infections and to insulate the body to
keep it at the proper temperature.
The first layer of skin is called the epidermis. This is the layer that is closest to the surface of the skin.
There are three types of cells in this layer. The first is the squamace. The squamace cells are flat and scaly
and are located closest to the surface of the skin. Second are the basal cells and finally are the melanocytes
which
give the skin its color. The second layer of skin is the dermis, which is much thicker than the epidermis.
This layer contains sweat glands, nerves and blood vessels. The dermis also contains follicles which are
tiny pockets from which the hair grows. (Jablonski)
The most common malignant cells are the basal cells. Cancer in the basal cell is called nonmelanoma
cancer. This means that the cancer did n...

Skin Cancer

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