Skin Cancer
What is Skin Cancer
The non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common type of skin cancer. It is called non-melanoma because this group of cancers includes all types of skin cancer, except one malignant melanoma, which is cancer that develops from melanocytes.
Causes
- Excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV), whose main source is sunlight. The degree of exposure to this radiation depends on the intensity of light exposure time, and if the skin has been protected. People living in areas where they are exposed throughout the year in strong sunlight are at greater risk. Long time to be outdoors for work or play without protection with appropriate clothing and sunscreen increases risk.
- The lamps and tanning beds are other sources of ultraviolet radiation that can cause an increased risk of developing skin cancer melanoma.
- Exposure to certain chemicals such as arsenic, industrial tar, coal, paraffin and certain types of oils.
- Exposure to radiation such as from radiation therapy.
- Injuries or severe or prolonged inflammation of the skin, such as severe burns, the skin covering the area where there was a serious bone infection, and skin damaged by certain inflammatory diseases.
- Treatment of psoriasis with psoralen and ultraviolet light given to some patients with psoriasis.
- The xeroderma pigmentosum, a rare hereditary condition, reduces the skin’s ability to repair DNA damage suffered as a result of exposure to sunlight. People with this disorder develop a large number of cancerous skin tumors, sometimes from childhood.
- Nevus syndrome basal cell is also a rare congenital condition that causes multiple basal cell cancers. Most cases, though not all, are inherited.
Symptoms of Skin Cancer
As part of a routine cancer-related, the doctor will carefully consider the patient’s skin. But it is equally important that the patient should be reviewed to himself the skin, preferably once a month. You’ll need to know the appearance of moles, blemishes, freckles and other marks on your skin to detect any changes.
Do BSE is recommended in front of a full-length mirror. For hard to see areas you can use a hand mirror. Should consider all areas, including the palms and soles of the feet, lower back and the back legs.
The skin cancer melanoma may not look like various marks on the skin. The main warning signs are the appearance of a new lump, a spot or bump that is growing (within a few months, or 1 to 2 years), or an ulcer does not heal within 3 months.
- Basal cell carcinomas appear as red areas, flat, scaly areas or small waxy, shiny and translucent to the relief that may bleed with minor injury. There may be one or more blood vessels visible irregular, or show areas of blue, brown or black.
- Squamous cell carcinomas may appear as growing lumps, often rough surface, or flat and reddish patches of skin that grow slowly. These two types of skin cancer can develop in non-melanoma form of flat area that shows only slight changes from normal skin.
- Kaposi’s sarcoma usually begins as a small area like a purple becomes a tumor.
- Mycosis fungoides begins as a rash, often on the buttocks, hips or lower abdomen. It may seem like an allergy of the skin or other irritation of it.
- Tumors of the annexes are as lumps under the skin.
- Skin sarcomas appear as large lumps under the surface of it. The Merkel cell tumors usually appear as red-purple nodules or ulcers (sores) on the face or, less frequently, in the arms or legs.
Prevention
The most important way to reduce the risk of developing skin cancer is melanoma not avoid unprotected exposure to sunlight and other sources of ultraviolet light. The easiest way to avoid excessive exposure to ultraviolet light is kept away from sun and shade whenever possible.
This is particularly important at midday when UV light is more intense.
- Protect yourself with clothing, including a shirt and a brimmed hat. In general, tightly woven fabrics offer the best protection against the sun. Sunglasses that offer good coverage, with a percentage of UV absorption of 99% to 100%, optimally protect the eyes and the skin area around them.
- The sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or more factor should be used in areas of exposed skin, particularly when the sunlight is intense. People with fair skin and burn easily you should apply the sunscreen.
In applying the lotion, follow the instructions. To be effective it must be applied before sun exposure, and used in all areas of skin exposed to sunlight. Many sunscreen lotions lose efficacy when a person sweats or anything, and must be reapplied to offer maximum protection. Lotion should be used if the weather is foggy or overcast sky is slightly light or compact as ultraviolet light can pass through them.
- Do not use tanning booths. Excessive exposure to ultraviolet light may increase the risk of developing skin cancer.
Types of Skin Cancer
There are many types of nonmelanoma skin cancer, but two are the most common: basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.
- Basal cell carcinoma
(Basal cell cancer) is a slow growing tumor. It is very rare for a basal cell cancer to spread to distant parts of the body. However, if a basal cell cancer is left untreated, can spread to nearby areas and affect the bones and other tissues of the skin. After treatment, basal cell carcinoma can recur in the same area of ??skin.
- Squamous cell carcinoma
(Squamous cell carcinoma) was developed in the upper layers of the epidermis and accounts for about 20% of all cases of skin cancer. Often appears in areas of the body exposed to sunlight, such as the face, ears, neck, lips and backs of hands. You can also develop in scars or skin ulcers elsewhere in the body.
Other types of skin cancer melanoma, less common than the above are:
- Kaposi’s sarcoma
: It originates in the dermis, but also can form in internal organs. Usually develops in people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or suffering from acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
- Lymphoma
. The dermis contains a considerable number of lymphocytes (a type of immune system cells). When they become malignant lymphoma to form. Although most of these cancers seem to arise in the lymph nodes or internal organs, there are certain types of lymphoma originating in the skin. The medical term “primary cutaneous lymphoma” means “lymphoma that originated in the skin.” The type of cutaneous lymphoma is the most common primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, also called mycosis fungoides.
- Sarcomas
: They develop from connective tissue cells, usually in tissues that are deep beneath the skin. Much less often, they can occur in the dermis and subcutaneous tissue of the skin. There are several types of sarcoma that can develop in the skin, including dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, and angiosarcoma.
- The Merkel cell carcinoma
It develops from the endocrine cells of the skin. They often reappear after treatment and extend to nearby lymph nodes. They can also spread to internal organs.
There are also benign skin tumors, most of which are not cancerous, and only rarely come to cancer. These tumors are most types of moles, seborrheic keratosis (patches with raised, brown, brown or black with a “waxy” texture or rough surface), hemangiomas (benign tumors of blood vessels) , lipomas (tumors soft benign fat cells) and warts (tumors of rough surface caused by a virus).
Precancerous Disease
- The actinic keratosis. It is a precancerous skin condition caused by exposure to sunlight. They are small rough spots that can be red, pink or skin color. They usually develop on the face, ears, backs of hands and arms of middle-aged or older who have fair skin, but can also occur in other areas of skin exposed to sunlight.
Generally, people with an actinic keratosis develop many more. They usually grow slowly and cause no further symptoms or signs that stains the skin. It is possible but not common, actinic keratoses develop into cancer cell carcinomas. They also often go away by themselves, but may recur.
- Squamous cell carcinoma in situ or Bowen’s Disease: This is the earliest form of skin cancer squamous cell carcinoma. The cells of this cancer are completely within the epidermis and has not spread to the dermis. It manifests as red spots. Compared with actinic keratoses, stains squamous cell carcinoma in situ are usually larger, often more than ½ inch, a more intense red and are scaly and rough.
Diagnostics
If there is any reason to suspect a cancer of the skin, the doctor will use one or more methods to determine if the disease is actually present. The doctor will look at the size, shape, color and texture of the area in question, and if there is bleeding or scaling.
It will explore the rest of the body for spots and moles that may be associated with skin cancer. It may be necessary to ask other questions or other tests, depending on your state of health in particular.
If the doctor thinks an area could present a non-skin cancer melanoma, it will take a skin sample from the suspicious area for examination under a microscope. This is called a skin biopsy. For this test can be used different methods. The method chosen depends on the type of cancer of the skin melanoma, the location thereof in the body and the size of the affected area.
Treatments
Removal is the most common treatment of such injuries, which can be supplemented with so-called Mohs surgery depending on the location or if the stain has a considerable size.
- Excision involves removing just the tumor and some tissue around it.
- Mohs Surgery: Remove the layer of skin affected by cancer and then extracts the surrounding tissue by comparing the two tests under the microscope. * Cryosurgery: Using liquid nitrogen freeze and destroy cancer cells.
- Laser Surgery: Used in very superficial carcinomas on applying the laser to vaporize cancer cells.
- Electrodesiccation: the tumor is removed by scraping the tissue, and then it was the area where the stain with an electric needle to destroy remaining cancer cells.
- Chemotherapy: The drug most frequently used is fluorouracil, which deforms used topically into the cells nearest the surface of the skin so it is only used for pre-malignant conditions. This medicine red zone where it applies, and makes it more sensitive to the sun, so must be protected from the sun for a few weeks.
- Radiation therapy involves the use of as x-rays to destroy cancer cells. The treatment lasts a few minutes and is painless but is something like an X-ray radiation is only higher and concentrated in the affected area. It is used in patients who can not undergo surgery, such as very old people may have problems for surgery. This treatment can cure those cancers which are in low stages. Also be used as an adjunct to surgery.