Skin Cancer

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Skin Cancer Objectives

Describe what a tumor is and how cancer cells can spread.
Compare three different types of skin cancer.
List the warning signs used to detect skin cancer and explain why it is beneficial to have a medical professional make a diagnosis.

Cancer is a group of diseases in which cells have an increase in mitosis and a decrease in apoptosis.

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In all cancers, cell undergo excessive mitosis, producing large numbers of cells. The cell type that originally mutated (changed genetically) impacts the type of cancer that develops.

Basal Cell Carcinoma

The basal keratinocytes lie at the bottom of the epidermis, directly above the dermis. This skin cancer is the most common and least deadly as it rarely metastasizes (spreads).

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

The flattening keratinocytes higher in the epidermis are called squamous cells and they can also mutate and become cancerous. This skin cancer is less common than basal cell, but more likely to metastasize.

Malignant Melanoma

Melanocytes in the epidermis can also mutate. “Malignant” means capable of spreading, and this skin cancer is the least common, but most likely to metastasize.

Any person’s skin cells can develop mutations that may lead to cancer. Check your skin at regular intervals and see a health care professional if wound does not heal or a skin feature appears unusual.

Cover Up

Regardless of the amount of melanin pigment in your epidermis, protect your skin.

Can’t get enough of the integumentary system? We have additional videos in this guide’s resource page.

Module #1 Resources

This is the end of the Integumentary Guide. Material from the guide and corresponding lecture, as well as the previous Discovery & Cells Guide, are assessed on the weekly Canvas quiz, due by Sunday night.

Check your knowledge. Can you:

describe what a tumor is and how cancer cells can spread?
compare three different types of skin cancer?
list the warning signs used to detect skin cancer and explain why it is beneficial to have a medical professional make a diagnosis?