Sunscreen is often presented as the frontline defense against skin cancer, and for good reason. Consistent protection from harmful UV rays can significantly reduce the risk. But the conversation around skin cancer must go much deeper. It’s not just about avoiding sunburns or applying SPF during the summer. It’s about awareness, of your skin, your risk, and the choices you have if a diagnosis ever comes.
Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers globally. In its early stages, it’s also one of the most treatable. But not all cases are caught early, and not all respond to treatment. For those who face the most difficult outcomes, awareness needs to include not only prevention, but also compassion, education, and the full range of end-of-life options.
This article explores the broader dimensions of skin cancer, from what causes it to what can be done when treatment no longer works. It’s a journey that begins with awareness and, for some, may lead all the way to cryopreservation as a way of preserving life’s potential beyond what current science can resolve.
What is skin cancer, really?
Skin cancer occurs when abnormal cells in the skin grow uncontrollably. It typically results from DNA damage caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun or tanning beds. There are three main types:
- Basal cell carcinoma: the most common and least aggressive, often developing in sun-exposed areas
- Squamous cell carcinoma: more likely to spread than basal cell, especially if not treated early
- Melanoma: the most dangerous type, capable of spreading rapidly to other parts of the body if not caught in time
While basal and squamous cell carcinomas are usually treated effectively, melanoma accounts for the majority of deaths due to skin cancer.
But cause and risk are more than skin deep.
Risk factors that go beyond sun exposure
Yes, UV radiation is the primary risk factor. But the full story of skin cancer involves more than just time spent in the sun:
- Genetics: a family history of skin cancer increases your risk
- Skin type: people with fair skin, freckles, and light hair are more vulnerable
- Immune system status: weakened immunity, whether from illness or medication, can increase susceptibility
- Exposure to certain substances: like arsenic or radiation
- History of sunburns: especially blistering burns during childhood
Understanding these factors helps reframe the conversation: skin cancer isn’t just about sunscreen. It’s about holistic awareness—of family history, immune health, and the importance of regular skin checks.
Early detection: what to look for
Skin cancer often begins as something small and easy to overlook, a mole, a spot, a patch of dry skin. That’s why being familiar with your own skin is essential.
The ABCDE rule is a helpful guide, especially for detecting melanoma:
- Asymmetry: one half of the mole doesn’t match the other
- Border: edges are irregular or blurred
- Color: multiple shades within the same mole
- Diameter: larger than 6 mm, about the size of a pencil eraser
- Evolving: changes in size, shape, or color over time
Other warning signs include persistent sores, bleeding or crusting patches, and any lesion that does not heal. If you notice something unfamiliar, don't wait. Early detection dramatically increases the chance of successful treatment.
Treatment and management
Most skin cancers are localized and can be removed surgically with minimal impact. However, when a cancer is more advanced or aggressive, especially with melanoma, the approach may involve:
- Immunotherapy: helping the body’s immune system target and destroy cancer cells
- Targeted therapy: using drugs to attack specific mutations in cancer cells
- Radiation or chemotherapy: less common but sometimes used, particularly in metastatic cases
- Clinical trials: new therapies are constantly being explored, especially for advanced melanoma
Even when treatment is successful, long-term monitoring is necessary. Skin cancer survivors are at higher risk of recurrence, and regular dermatological evaluations are critical.
When skin cancer becomes life-limiting
While many cases of skin cancer are manageable, some individuals face a very different path. Metastatic melanoma, in particular, can spread to the lungs, brain, liver, or bones. In these cases, treatment options become more complex, and survival rates drop significantly.
A terminal diagnosis brings not just physical symptoms, but emotional ones, grief, fear, regret, and the heartbreaking question: is there anything else I can do?
These are deeply human moments. And while the mainstream conversation around skin cancer often focuses on prevention, those at this stage deserve information and support, not silence.
Cryopreservation: an option, not a cure
Cryopreservation is not a treatment for skin cancer. It cannot eliminate cancer cells or stop metastasis. But it may offer something else entirely: the ability to preserve the body, especially the brain, at the moment when life would otherwise end.
The process involves:
- Immediate stabilization after legal death
- Replacing bodily fluids with cryoprotective solutions to prevent ice damage
- Cooling the body to -196°C for long-term storage
This state halts biological decay. It preserves cellular structure, including the complex architecture of the brain that stores memory, personality, and identity.
Cryopreservation is not a promise. It is not about denying the present, but about leaving open a door to a future in which the science may exist to reverse or repair what today we cannot.
At Tomorrow.bio, we understand how devastating a terminal diagnosis can be. We have these conversations every day, with individuals and families navigating impossibly difficult decisions. We are here to provide facts, to answer questions, and to help people explore whether cryopreservation is a path they want to consider.
About Tomorrow.bio
At Tomorrow.bio we are dedicated to advancing the science of cryopreservation with the goal of giving people a second chance at life As Europe’s leading human cryopreservation provider we focus on rapid high-quality standby, stabilization and storage of terminal patients preserving them until future technologies may allow revival and treatment.
Our mission is to make human cryopreservation a reliable and accessible option for everyone We believe that no life should end because current capabilities fall short.
Our vision is a future where death is optional where people have the freedom to choose long-term preservation in the face of terminal illness or fatal injury and to awaken when science has caught upInterested in learning more or becoming a member
📧 Contact us at hello@tomorrow.bio
🌐 Visit our website www.tomorrow.bio
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