The roles of the skin are:

Skins Roles:

There are 3 types of skin. There is:

• The epidermis - the outer layer
• The dermis - the inner layer
• The subcutaneuos fat layer
  
  --> These all play a vital function for our body's well being, therefore skin cancer effects their performance and our well being.

There are 3 types of skin cancer. There is:

• Basal cell carcinoma [BCC]
• Squamous cell carcinoma [SCC]
• Melanoma

Basal cell carcinoma [BBC]:

• Most common but least dangerous type of skin caner, however does not mean it shouldn't be taken seriously
• It grows slowly over months to years
• Can (but rarely does) spread to other parts of the body
• Once a person has had BBC, they may have BBC in other areas of the body or again
  in later years

Squamous cell carcinoma [SCC]:

• Less common skin caner but more dangerous than BBC
• It grows over weeks to months
• May spread to other parts of the body if not treated properly
• SCC appears on skin that has most often been exposed to the sun
• SCC looks like an untreated sore, may bleed and ulcerate
• Generally occurs in young adults through to 40yrs+
• SCC occurs through too much exposure to the sun over many years

Melanoma

• Is the rarest but most dangerous types of skin caner
• It is a fast growing cancer if not treated quickly
• It spreads quickly to distant parts of the body to form secondary cancers
• Can appear anywhere on the body
• First sign of Melanoma are changes in freckles or moles or an appearance of a new
  mole or freckles
• Changes are seen over several weeks to months (not over several days)
• Changes in size, shape and colour
• Occurs in mainly adolescence onwards (rare cases in children)