Skin Cancer: Learn How to Self-Examine Before It’s Too Late

Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers, afflicting more than two million Americans each year, a number that is rising rapidly. When detected, diagnosed, and treated early, it is also the easiest to cure. When allowed to progress, however, skin cancer result in disfigurement and even death. This is why early detection is key. And early detection begins with ourselves.

Research shows that most skin cancers are detected by the individual themselves, so if you regularly check your skin for suspicious moles or lesions, you can literally save your own life. Knowing exactly how and what to look for can be intimidating, but there are many at-home tools to assist you, such as this free, easily downloadable Skin Self Examination kit and journal, produced by the American Society for Dermatological Surgery. This particular kit provides all of the instructions you will need in order to examine and document changes in your skin. You can download the kit here.

Utilizing free at-home tools such as these will allow you to become a partner with your dermatologic surgeon in preserving the health of your skin. If you do find that you are one of the millions of people in need of skin cancer treatment this year, it is important to find a dermatologic surgeon who employs the latest, most advanced treatment options.

One such cutting-edge treatment option is the SRT-100 procedure, which is now proudly offered by Dr. Klein and his Associates. The SRT-100 procedure is the most effective, non-surgical, and pain free therapy to treat non-melanoma skin cancers. These include basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer, which account for the vast majority of all skin cancers. Superficial radiotherapy (SRT) is a low-energy radiation that goes no deeper than the thickness of the skin. The radiation targets abnormal cells (cancer cells) by disrupting cell division. This process destroys the abnormal cancer cells, while allowing the normal, healthy cells to easily repair, making this form of surface radiation a cosmetically attractive alternative to surgery. There is often minimal redness and scabbing involved immediately post-treatment, with little to no scarring long-term. Most impressively, SRT-100 is highly effective treatment that boasts a 95% cure rate.