Principles of Anatomy and Physiology

Skin is the most visible organ, and is also the most prone to injury. Since the skin is continually exposed to ultraviolet rays, cancerous changes to the skin are common. Melanin has a protective effect; therefore, skin cancer is less common in darker-skinned populations. There are three types of skin cancer. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common and least deadly. With treatment, it resolves with little harm; if untreated, it may be disfiguring. Squamous cell carcinoma arises in the keratinocyte cells of the stratum spinosum. If detected early, squamous cell carcinoma is quite treatable. Melanoma begins in the melanocytes. It is relatively rare, but is the most lethal of skin cancers. If caught early, and aggressively surgically treated, recovery is likely; however, this cancer metastasizes to other parts of the body rapidly (Skin Cancer Foundation, 2017).

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