Page 14 - Essentia Vol 5 Issue 1

VOL V | ISSUE I | 5 AUGUST 2026 VOL V | ISSUE I | 5 AUGUST 2026
A BIANNUAL NEWSLETTER OF ASSAM CANCER CARE FOUNDATION A BIANNUAL NEWSLETTER OF ASSAM CANCER CARE FOUNDATION

When in Doubt, Check it out

Understanding

Skin Cancer

Dr Swastika Debbarma
Consultant, Dermatologist
MBBS, MD (DVL)

our skin is your body’s largest organ — and
often the most neglected. When people
Ythink about cancer, they picture the lungs,
breast, stomach or colon. But skin cancer is one
of the most common cancers worldwide, yet it
remains under-recognised and underestimated.

What is skin cancer?
Skin cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal
skin cells, occurring when DNA in skin cells is
damaged, most often by ultraviolet (UV) radiation
from the sun or artificial tanning devices. This
damage accumulates over a lifetime, eventually
leading to cancer.

Types of skin cancer

Type Key Features

The most common type. Grows slowly, usually on sun-exposed areas
(face, ears, nose, hands). Often a shiny nodule, non-healing sore or scar-
Basal cell carcinoma
like patch. Rarely spreads, but can cause significant local damage if
untreated.

Grows more rapidly, linked to chronic UV exposure. Often a pink or red
Squamous cell carcinoma nodule, scaly patch, or non-healing sore. Low but significant risk of
spreading elsewhere in the body.

Less common but the most dangerous form, arising from pigment-
Melanoma producing melanocytes. Can spread rapidly. Typically appears as an
irregular pigmented lesion that has grown or changed over time.

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