Skin cancer is the abnormal growth of skin cells which most often develops on skin exposed to the sun. But this common form of cancer can also occur on areas of your skin not ordinarily exposed to sunlight. here are three major types of skin cancer — basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma.
You can reduce your risk of skin cancer by limiting or avoiding exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Checking your skin for suspicious changes can help detect skin cancer at its earliest stages. Early detection of skin cancer gives you the greatest chance for successful skin cancer treatment.

Skin cancer develops primarily on areas of sun-exposed skin, including the scalp, face, lips, ears, neck, chest, arms and hands, and on the legs in women. But it can also form on areas that rarely see the light of day your palms, beneath your fingernails or toenails, and your genital area. Skin cancer affects people of all skin tones, including those with darker complexions. When melanoma occurs in people with dark skin tones, it's more likely to occur in areas not normally exposed to the sun, such as the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
1) Basal cell carcinoma usually occurs in sun-exposed areas of your body, such as your neck or face.Basal cell carcinoma may appear as:
● A pearly or waxy bump
● A flat, flesh-colored or brown scar-like lesion
● A bleeding or scabbing sore that heals and returns
2) Squamous cell carcinoma may appear as:
● A firm, red nodule
● A flat lesion with a scaly, crusted surface
3) Melanoma signs include:
● A large brownish spot with darker speckles
● A mole that changes in color, size or feel or that bleeds
● A small lesion with an irregular border and portions that appear red, pink, white, blue or blue-black
● A painful lesion that itches or burns
● Dark lesions on your palms, soles, fingertips or toes, or on mucous membranes lining your mouth, nose, vagina or anus

Anyone can get skin cancer, but people with certain characteristics are at greater risk:
1) A lighter natural skin color.
2) Skin that burns, freckles, reddens easily, or becomes painful in the sun.
3) Blue or green eyes.
4) Blond or red hair.
5) Certain types and a large number of moles.
6) A family history of skin cancer.
7) A personal history of skin cancer.
8) Older age.
9) Sun exposure
10) Weakened or suppressed immune system
11) Indoor tanning
12) Fair skin
13) Race/ethnicity
14) Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV)
15) Precancerous skin conditions
16) Gender.
17) Arsenic exposure

There are many types of skin cancer:
1) Basal cell carcinoma.
Basal cells are the round cells found in the lower epidermis. About 80% of skin cancers develop from this type of cell. These cancers are described as basal cell carcinomas. Basal cell carcinoma most often develops on the head and neck, although it can be found anywhere on the skin. It is mainly caused by sun exposure or develops in people who received radiation therapy as children. This type of skin cancer usually grows slowly and rarely spreads to other parts of the body.
2) Squamous cell carcinoma.
Most of the epidermis is made up of flat, scale-like cells called squamous cells. Around 20% of skin cancers develop from these cells, and these cancers are called squamous cell carcinomas. Squamous cell carcinoma is mainly caused by sun exposure, so it may be diagnosed on many regions of the skin. It can also develop on skin that has been burned, damaged by chemicals, or exposed to x-rays. Squamous cell carcinoma is commonly found on the lips; at sites of a long-standing scar; and on the skin outside the mouth, anus, and a woman’s vagina. About 2% to 5% of squamous cell carcinomas spread to other parts of the body.
3) Merkel cell cancer.
Merkel cell cancer is a highly aggressive, or fast-growing, rare cancer. It starts in hormone-producing cells just beneath the skin and in the hair follicles. It is usually found in the head and neck region. Merkel cell cancer may also be called neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin. Learn more about neuroendocrine tumors.
4) Melanoma.
There are scattered cells called melanocytes where the epidermis meets the dermis. These cells produce the pigment melanin, which gives skin its color. Melanoma starts in melanocytes, and it is the most serious type of skin cancer. It accounts for about 1% of all skin cancers. For more information about melanoma, visit the melanoma section on this same website.
5) Cutaneous (skin) lymphomas
Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is a rare type of cancer that begins in white blood cells called T cells (T lymphocytes). These cells normally help your body's germ-fighting immune system. In cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, the T cells develop abnormalities that make them attack the skin.
6) Kaposi sarcoma
Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is a cancer that develops from the cells that line lymph or blood vessels. It usually appears as tumors on the skin or on mucosal surfaces such as inside the mouth, but these tumors can also develop in other parts of the body, such as in the lymph nodes (bean-sized collections of immune cells throughout the body), the lungs, or digestive tract.
7) skin adnexal tumors
Skin adnexal tumours are a category of rare tumours. They usually present as painless nodules and papules.
8) sarcomas
Sarcoma is the general term for a broad group of cancers that begin in the bones and in the soft (also called connective) tissues (soft tissue sarcoma). Soft tissue sarcoma forms in the tissues that connect, support and surround other body structures.

To diagnose skin cancer, your doctor may:
1) Examine your skin.
Your doctor may look at your skin to determine whether your skin changes are likely to be skin cancer. Further testing may be needed to confirm that diagnosis.
2) Remove a sample of suspicious skin for testing (skin biopsy).
Your doctor may remove the suspicious-looking skin for lab testing. A biopsy can determine whether you have skin cancer and, if so, what type of skin cancer you have.

If your doctor determines you have skin cancer, you may have additional tests to determine the extent (stage) of the skin cancer, Because superficial skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma rarely spread, a biopsy that removes the entire growth often is the only test needed to determine the cancer stage. But if you have a large squamous cell carcinoma, Merkel cell carcinoma or melanoma, your doctor may recommend further tests to determine the extent of the cancer:
1) imaging tests
Additional image tests might include imaging tests to examine the nearby lymph nodes for signs of cancer or a procedure to remove a nearby lymph node and test it for signs of cancer (sentinel lymph node biopsy).
2) fine needle aspiration (FNA)
If the doctor thinks there's a significant risk of the cancer spreading, it may be necessary to perform a biopsy on a lymph node. This is called a fine needle aspiration (FNA). During FNA, cells are removed using a needle and syringe so they can be examined.

Your treatment options for skin cancer and the precancerous skin lesions known as actinic keratoses will vary, depending on the size, type, depth and location of the lesions. Small skin cancers limited to the surface of the skin may not require treatment beyond an initial skin biopsy that removes the entire growth. If additional treatment is needed, options may include:
1) Freezing.
Your doctor may destroy actinic keratoses and some small, early skin cancers by freezing them with liquid nitrogen (cryosurgery). The dead tissue sloughs off when it thaws.
2) Excisional surgery.
This type of treatment may be appropriate for any type of skin cancer. Your doctor cuts out (excises) the cancerous tissue and a surrounding margin of healthy skin. A wide excision — removing extra normal skin around the tumor — may be recommended in some cases.
3) Mohs surgery.
This procedure is for larger, recurring or difficult-to-treat skin cancers, which may include both basal and squamous cell carcinomas. It's often used in areas where it's necessary to conserve as much skin as possible, such as on the nose.
During Mohs surgery, your doctor removes the skin growth layer by layer, examining each layer under the microscope, until no abnormal cells remain. This procedure allows cancerous cells to be removed without taking an excessive amount of surrounding healthy skin.
4) Curettage and electrodesiccation or cryotherapy.
After removing most of a growth, your doctor scrapes away layers of cancer cells using a device with a circular blade (curet). An electric needle destroys any remaining cancer cells. In a variation of this procedure, liquid nitrogen can be used to freeze the base and edges of the treated area.
5) Radiation therapy.
Radiation therapy uses high-powered energy beams, such as X-rays, to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy may be an option when cancer can't be completely removed during surgery.
6) Chemotherapy.
In chemotherapy, drugs are used to kill cancer cells. For cancers limited to the top layer of skin, creams or lotions containing anti-cancer agents may be applied directly to the skin. Systemic chemotherapy can be used to treat skin cancers that have spread to other parts of the body.
7) Photodynamic therapy.
This treatment destroys skin cancer cells with a combination of laser light and drugs that makes cancer cells sensitive to light.
8) Biological therapy.
Biological therapy uses your body's immune system to kill cancer cells.

5-year relative survival rates for skin cancer:
1) Localized: 99% There is no sign that the cancer has spread beyond the skin where it started.
2) Regional: 66% The cancer has spread beyond the skin where it started to nearby structures or lymph nodes.
3) Distant: 27% The cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, such as the lungs, liver, or skin on other parts of the body.

Cancer is a life threatening disease that can affect anyone regardless of race, age, and gender. Traditional cancer treatments like radiotherapy and chemotherapy often result in undesirable and uncomfortable side effects such as vomiting, numbness, nausea, and diarrhea to name a few. Herbal medicine is a complementary therapy that some people with cancer use to ease cancer symptoms. Herbal remedies for cancer such as those commonly found in traditional medicine contains antimutagenic, anti-inflammatory, and apoptosis inducing compounds that help in slowing the development of cancer and relieve treatment side effects for patients.

Herbal medicine has a wide variety of applications but all of them rely on the sustainable use of various plant parts such as flowers, leaves, bark, and roots. Each part of a plant features different medicinal properties and uses. Although herbal medicine has countless use cases, cancer care is one of the most practical applications because of how harsh traditional oncology treatments can be on patients.

Herbal remedies are a part of a growing field of medicine called integrative oncology. Research conducted on the use of herbal medicine for cancer complementary therapy has proven herbs can:
• Slows the spread of cancer
• Reduces the side effects of cancer treatment
• Boosts immune system strength and functionality
• Minimizes the symptoms of cancer
• Attacks cancer cells

Several herbs may help control the side effects of conventional cancer treatment. However, doctors do not recommend that cancer patients take herbal medicine while undergoing normal traditional cancer treatment. Herbal medicines may be likely less to cause side effects than traditional drugs. But patients may can still experience complications. Some herbs may can cause negative interactions with chemotherapy drugs. Closely monitor how you feel before and after taking herbal remedies. Patients should always consult with their doctor before trying herbs as a complementary therapy or the supplements to avoid complications.