Most of us tend to only pay attention to the bigger things in life; often overlooking that which is little or less significant, and passing it off as inconsequential. How this can come back to haunt you. The biggest lesson I have gained from my husband's experiences it is to never take anything for granted, be thorough in everything you do, and pay very close attention to your body.

On April 26th, 2007 my life, those of my children, and most importantly, my husband's changed forever. He was diagnosed with skin cancer. Less than a couple of months before then he noticed a small dry patch of skin over his nose, and like most people would, thought nothing of it. Little did he know that this was actinic keratosis, a premalignant condition that when left untreated has the potential to develop into cancer.

WHAT IS ACTINIC KERATOSIS?

To anyone who has never come across actinic keratosis, also known as solar keratosis, it begins as a scaly or crusty bump that arises on the skin's surface. The lower part of the lesion may be light or dark, tan, pink, red, a combination of these, or the same color as your skin. It can become itchy, inflamed and in some cases may even bleed.

The abnormality develops slowly and generally reaches the size of an eighth to a quarter of an inch, and often you will see several of these at a time. Actinic keratosis is most commonly discovered on the face, ears, scalp, neck, backs of the hands and forearms, shoulders, and lips. Essentially, parts of the body most often exposed to sunshine. Studies have also shown the propensity to encounter up to 10 times as many subclinical (invisible) lesions as visible, surface lesions.

WHY IS IT DANGEROUS

Actinic keratosis is often regarded as the primary stage of skin cancer which is why it is so commonly referred to as a precancer. When left untreated, about two to five percent of these lesions may progress to squamous cell carcinomas and the greater the prevalence of keratosis, the larger the risk that one or more may turn into skin cancer.

HOW IT CAN BE PREVENTED

- Avoid unnecessary sun exposure, especially during the sun's peak hours

- Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat, long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and UV-blocking sunglasses

- Wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher

- Appraise your skin from head to toe once every month.

- Visit a skin professional for appraisal every year

- Act swiftly on the discovery of any abnormalities and unusual inflammations

- Exfoliate dead skin cells and apply moisturizing cream every day

ALTERNATIVE SKIN CANCER PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

As skin cancer can be formed from the dry, scaly inflammation patches experienced with actininc keratosis, daily maintenance of the skin can be extremely assisting. The frequent application of an irritation-free moisturizer will remove any itchiness or irritation experienced. In addition, the daily application of a non-toxic exfoliate is an effective treatment for keratosis as the potentially cancerous skin cells are eroded away, stimulating the growth of new, healthy cells. If my husband had have followed such an effortless regime, he would never have developed skin cancer.