Monday, March 31, 2014

Michael's First Post

    Hello, my name is Michael Allen and I am a sophomore Biology major here at SCU. I am interested in cancer biology because both my father and grandfather have been affected by cancer. My father had melanoma, and was luckily diagnosed and treated quickly. I am specifically interested in skin cancer because I may also someday be affected by this cancer due to the fact that I have a genetic predisposition for it. I look forward to understanding skin cancer at a higher level, as well as learning how to protect against and treat it.
     Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States affecting around 2 million people annually. One in five americans will have some form of skin cancer. More general facts about skin cancer are available here. Below are pictures of the different types of skin cancer; melanoma, basal cell skin cancer, and squamous cell skin cancer.