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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : October 29, 2014 12:20 PM IST
'X-Men' star Hugh Jackman has got treatment for minor skin cancer for the third time in last one year. The 46-year-old actor is fine now after the basal cell carcinoma, his representative said, according to E! Online. Jackman had a basal cell carcinoma removed in November 2013 as well as in May of this year. (Read: Tattoos may increase skin cancer risk)
The action star at that time said the cancer was growing. 'So just to be clear, it is skin cancer? It's a basal cell carcinoma, which of all the skin cancers, is the most minor. But you do need to take care of it immediately because it's growing,' he had said. (Read: Pine bark substance can help treat skin cancer)
Here are facts about skin cancer
Fact #1: Skin cancer is uncommon yet possible in India
It is not very common in India and constitutes approximately less than 1% of the total number of cancers cases.
Fact #2: The symptoms are easy to recognise yet difficult to discern
Although the condition is uncommon, one should always be cautious about any abnormality in any area of the skin like:
Skin changes may also occur due to damage caused by the sun. Some people especially those with fair skin can get crusty, coarse, or bumpy spots. These spots are called actinic keratoses , and are often found on the face, ears, arms or scalp, and can sometimes turn into skin cancer.
These symptoms are common missed out or thought to be due to some sort of skin ailment. This tends to delay treatment and diagnosis.
Fact # 3: The causes of the cancer are many, but moles are the most dangerous precipitative factor
There are both environmental and genetic risk factors:
Familial or hereditary factors: Roughly 10 percent of melanomas are familial i.e. they occur in the family members. There are multiple genes responsible for this. One of these is CDKN2A, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A mutation.
People with Dysplastic Nevi: Dysplastic nevi is a condition where a person has a mole-like growth on their skin that has irregular borders and varies in colour. It s cause is yet unknown but individuals with dysplastic or atypical nevi carry a 20-fold more risk of developing malignant melanoma compared to the general population. Approximately 10 to 20 percent of diagnosed melanomas arise within atypical nevi. (Read more about 10 facts about skin cancer you probably didn t know about)
With inputs from PTI
Photo source: Getty images
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