Skin Cancer

Actinic keratosis is one of the most common skin conditions associated with long-term sun exposure. It often appears as a rough, scaly patch of skin and may develop gradually over time, particularly in areas that receive frequent ultraviolet (UV) exposure.

Most people leave a diagnosis appointment having heard both words. Stage. Grade. Sometimes in the same sentence. Often without much of a pause between them.

When people hear the word “chemotherapy,” they often think of medicines given through a drip or tablets that travel throughout the body. However, some chemotherapy medicines can also be applied directly to the skin as a cream.

Sunscreen has become one of the most widely recommended forms of sun protection, yet questions about its safety continue to circulate online. Some claims suggest that sunscreen ingredients may increase cancer risk, while others point to people who develop skin cancer despite using sunscreen and wonder whether it works at all.

A diagnosis of skin cancer often leads to one immediate question: can it be cured? The answer is frequently encouraging, but it depends on several factors, including the type of skin cancer involved, how advanced it is, and how it responds to treatment.

If you have been diagnosed with skin cancer, it is completely reasonable to want a second opinion.

Recovery after skin cancer surgery is not usually about doing more. It is often about avoiding the things that interfere with healing.

People ask this question in two very different moods.

Sometimes, it’s curiosity. “My mum had a melanoma. Is that a thing?”

Other times, it’s fear. “My dad had skin cancer. I have freckles. Am I basically waiting my turn?”

A diagnosis of skin cancer naturally brings questions about treatment, recovery, and prognosis.

Most skin cancers develop over time rather than appearing suddenly.

That is part of what makes prevention important. The damage that leads to skin cancer often builds gradually through repeated ultraviolet exposure, sometimes over decades, before any visible signs appear on the skin.

If you have been told you have a basal cell carcinoma (BCC) or a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), or you are waiting for results, you’re probably wondering what the difference is. They’re both called “skin cancer”, so it can sound as if they behave the same way. In reality, they start in different skin cells, and that changes how they tend to grow and how we treat them.

A white spot on the skin is easy to dismiss, especially if it is painless, small, or does not seem to change much at first.