Skin Cancer Prevention

There are four main types of skin cancer, and catching it early is key for treatment.

The most common is basal cell carcinoma, followed by squamous cell. Melanoma is the most dangerous of the top three if not caught and treated early. Then there's Merkle cell carcinoma which is a rare aggressive skin cancer. A main cause is the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays.

According to surgical oncologist Vadim Gushchin, M.D., FACS, Director of The Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center at Mercy, monitoring the UV index is important.

"It's rated from zero to 11. So, the higher the index is, the more precautions you have to take. You have bracelets available; some devices come with UV index monitors. So, use that to know when to expect direct sunlight that could be dangerous," Dr. Gushchin said.

If skin cancer is caught early, your dermatologist can treat it with little or no scarring and high odds of eliminating it entirely. Often, the doctor may even detect the growth at a pre-cancerous stage, before it has become a full-blown skin cancer or penetrated below the surface of the skin.

To view Mercy surgical oncologist Dr. Vadim Gushchin’s interview with WBAL-TV11 regarding skin cancer and its prevention, click here.