Skin cancer is one of the most talked-about forms of cancer in America. As awareness of the condition increases, more people are looking at how it affects their own lives. Some use this awareness to focus on long term impacts as they choose San Antonio Botox treatments, while others search for answers as well as symptoms of the disease itself. If signs and symptoms do appear in any form, there's only way to know if it is truly skin cancer; a skin cancer screening. The exams are a vital part of any diagnosis and have helped to save many lives that might have been otherwise lost without the right care or treatment.
Talking with your doctor or specialist is a great start in finding out whether this is the right choice for you. Be honest about what you do concerning risk factors like excessive outdoor exposure with limited coverage or sunscreen. The doctor isn't here to judge, instead to offer the best advice based on your answers, giving them false information or wrong answers could cloud their diagnosis. If the doctor doesn't feel like it is the right time for a screening, you can always discuss better ways to incorporate healthy solutions into your daily life. Common recommendations include:
● Stop smoking
● Wear sunscreen with a high UVA / UVB rating
● Wear protective clothing while outside
● Don't use tanning beds
Going To The Exam
If the doctor thinks it is time for a screening, don't panic. It can be scary to take an exam of any kind, especially when the results could mean cancer. You don't have to do anything to prepare for a screening, just be there and be ready for a full-body inspection. Basically, a skin cancer screening is a chance to inspect your body for anything problematic. What does it mean to be problematic? Moles, warts, and growths are a starting spot for most doctors. The bigger a growth, the more likely it is to catch a doctor's attention. Still, even the smaller moles could be problematic. One of the signs that a doctor looks for is discoloration or changes in shape or size. It can also apply to those spots found around the body that don't rise up or create an impression. They might even be hard to see or spot in certain parts unless you have a mirror or magnifying glass.
More Than A One Time Thing
You might think a skin cancer screening is a one time thing, but these exams should be as regular as physicals, especially for anyone who has heightened risk factors. If you've been diagnosed with skin cancer before, this should also become a regular part of your life since those with skin cancer can easily see a resurgence of the disease for no reason.
There is no cure for skin cancer, but there are treatments out there that can save the life of patients. The key to finding the right treatment for skin conditions and making it work depends on discovering the cancer in time; skin cancer screenings do that. They are an invaluable tool for providers as well as something every patient should consider. Taking the exam now could mean a healthy future no matter what.
