Prevention

The main reason for the sharp rise in skin cancer in recent years is the change in leisure habits, the increased use of solariums and intensive sun vacations all year round.The protection from the damaging UV radiation is the most important and effective measure for the prevention of skin cancer. By following a few rules, which must be observed when dealing with the sun, sunburn can be easily avoided. Especially parts of the body that are exposed to intensive sunlight need special protection.

These parts of the body should be kept covered if possible or protected with sunscreen with a high sun protection factor: the bridge of the nose, the hairless scalp or the crown, cheeks, lips, ears, eyes, shoulders, back or décolleté. In addition, an awareness should be created of how harmful the influence of the sun’s rays is for our skin. Long periods of sunbathing and sunburn are considered completely normal, and children and young people are also becoming increasingly exposed to harmful sunlight. A moderate exposure to the sun is important and necessary to prevent skin cancer.

Prognosis

In particular, early detection of precancerous stages of skin cancer, which can be adequately treated early on by complete surgical removal, has an excellent prognosis. Skin manifestations still in early stages of development have not yet penetrated into deeper layers of the skin and have usually not yet caused more serious damage to the tissue. However, skin cancers that are only detected in more advanced stages also have a good prognosis, especially in the forms of white skin cancer.

The basal cell carcinoma or spinocellular carcinoma in most cases show no aggressive growth and do not spread to other parts of the body at all or only very late, which is why they can usually be cured by surgical removal. In the case of malignant melanoma, the early detection of precancerous stages is particularly important, as black skin cancer has a worse prognosis in more advanced stages. Malignant melanoma usually grows quickly and aggressively, so that if it is discovered at a more advanced stage, it has often metastasized (spread) to other organs, reducing the chances of therapy and cure.