1. Three cancers under one name
We often talk about "the" skin cancer, but there are several types, very différent in frequency and severity. Telling them apart helps understand what's'at stake in screening.
| Type | Frequency | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Basal cell carcinoma | ≈ 70% | The most common and least serious. Stays local, almost never metastasises. Near-systematic cure if removed early. |
| Squamous cell carcinoma | ≈ 20% | Rarer but more aggressive. Can invade lymph nodes and metastasise. Early detection essential. |
| Melanoma | ≈ 10% | The rarest of the three but the most dangerous, with strong metastatic potential. Caught early, it cures very well (≈ 93% 5-year survival). |
2. The sun, the main risk factor
Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays, from the sun and from tanning beds, is by far the leading risk factor. It's'estimated that two melanomas out of three are linked to excessive exposure, particularly intense, intermittent exposure, and above all sunburn received during childhood.
- ●Fair skin, hair and eyes: less melanin, so weaker natural protection against UV.
- ●Many moles or atypical moles: the more there are, the more careful the monitoring must be.
- ●Personal or family history: severe sunburn, skin cancer in the family (about 10% of melanomas are familial forms).
- ●Tanning beds: classified as definite carcinogens, they clearly increase the risk, especially before âge 30.
3. Learning to spot it: the ABCDE rule
Watching your skin means spotting what changes. For a mole, five criteria should alert you:
- ●A, Asymmetry: the two halves of the mole don't match.
- ●B, Borders: irregular, poorly defined or jagged edges.
- ●C, Colour: several shades (brown, black, red, white) within a single lesion.
- ●D, Diameter: usually over 6 mm, but a small mole can also be suspicious.
- ●E, Évolution: any récent change in size, shape or colour, or a mole that itches, bleeds or won't heal.
A simple extra cue: the "ugly duckling sign." If a mole doesn't look like the others, it deserves a doctor's'opinion. At the slightest doubt, it's better to consult, earliness changes everything.
4. Protecting yourself day to day
Prévention rests on simple habits, to build in all year round, not just at the beach:
- ●Avoid the sun at peak hours: stay in the shade between noon and 4 p.m., when UV rays are most intense.
- ●Cover up: a wide-brimmed hat, UV-filtering sunglasses and covering clothes remain the most effective protection.
- ●Apply sunscreen: SPF 30 to 50, in a generous layer, reapplied every two hours and after every swim.
- ●Protect children first: their skin is more fragile and childhood sunburn weighs heavily in future risk.
- ●Ban tanning beds: they bring no health benefit and clearly raise the risk.
5. Screening: a reflex that saves lives
Detected early, a skin cancer almost always heals: net 5-year survival for melanoma reaches about 93%, and carcinomas are cured in the vast majority of cases. The whole point is to act before the lesion spreads.
- ●Self-examination: once or twice a year, look over your whole skin (including back, scalp, soles of the feet) using a mirror or a loved one.
- ●Médical examination: in case of doubt, a suspicious mole or risk factors, consult your GP or a dermatologist.
- ●The health check-up: it helps take stock of your risk factors, relay the warning signals and steer you toward suitable monitoring.
Preventing skin cancer doesn't require heroic effort: a bit of shade, good habits in the sun and an attentive eye on your skin are enough to considerably reduce the risk.
💡 Key tips
- 90% of skin cancers are carcinomas, most often benign if treated early. Melanoma, rarer (10%), is the most dangerous, but also the one that heals best when detected early.
- The sun is the main risk factor: 2 melanomas out of 3 are linked to excessive UV exposure, especially childhood sunburn. Protection begins at the youngest âge.
- The ABCDE rule (Asymmetry, Borders, Colour, Diameter, Évolution) helps spot a suspicious mole. A spot that changes, itches or bleeds deserves médical advice.
- Protecting yourself means avoiding the sun between noon and 4 p.m., wearing a hat, sunglasses and covering clothes, and applying SPF 30 to 50 sunscreen reapplied every 2 hours. Never a tanning bed.
- An annual skin exam, by yourself then by a doctor or dermatologist, allows a lesion to be detected at its most curable stage. Monitoring is prévention's best ally.
