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 The skin is the largest organ in the human body. It functions in many important ways. Skin protects the body against injury, infection, and sunlight. It also regulates body temperature. The skin stores fat and provides Vitamin D.
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 As
the drawing above demonstrates, the skin has two main layers.
The Epidermis is the upper level. The Epidermis is
made up of mostly scale-like cells called squamous cells. Round
cells, called Basal Cells, lie deeper, underneath the squamous cells.
Even deeper in the Epidermis lay cells called Melanocytes.
Melanocytes are the cells which produce melanin, the pigment that
gives our skin it's color. When the skin is exposed to sunlight,
Melanocytes produce more pigment, which turns skin darker.
The
Dermis is the lower layer. The Dermis contains blood vessels,
lymphatic vessels, hair follicles, and glands.
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Skin Cancer is the most common of all cancers. Over 500,000 new
cases are diagnosed in the United States each year. Here are
some interesting facts:
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- 1 in every 3 Americans
is affected
- One in every 3
cancers is skin cancer
- Most skin cancers
are either basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma, depending
on which kind of body cell the cancer invades
- This year, 23,000
Americans will develop malignant melanoma, the most deadly form
of skin cancer
- The average American's
lifetime risk of getting malignant melanoma is as little as 1
in 150
- The sun is the
cause of at least 90% of all skin cancers
- Skin Cancer is
100% curable when treated at its earliest stages
- Almost all skin
cancers are preventable
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Sometimes melanocytes grow in clusters, called moles. Moles are very common, and most
people have between 10 and 40 of them. Some are brown, some are tan,
and even black in color. They can be flat against the skin,
or raised, and are usually smaller than a pencil eraser.
Melanoma may suddenly appear without warning, but many times begins
with a mole, or other dark spot on the skin. For that reason,
it's important to be aware of all the moles on your body and have unusual
moles checked by a health care provider, especially if changes appear.
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