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[I286]Information On Skin Cancer

by Tisha Kulak Tolar, Tis

Skin is our largest organ and one that is not immune to developing cancerous cells. Skin cancer develops when damaged cells start growing and dividing uncontrollably in the skin. This form of cancer is the most prevalent with more than one million cases in the United States diagnosed each year. Here we will cover some of the commonly asked questions about skin cancer.

What Are The Different Forms of Skin Cancer?

There are different types of skin cancer with three forms accounting for almost all of the diagnosed cases. They are:

• Basal cell carcinoma (BCC)- Accounting for nearly 80% of skin cancer, BCC develops in the basal cells which are located in the lowest layer of the epidermis. It is commonly found on areas of the body regularly exposed to the sun such as your face, head and upper body. Signs of BCC include skin that appears as a sore that repeatedly heals and re-opens, a slightly elevated pink growth, patch of irritated skin that is red in color and/or shiny translucent skin. This type of cancer does not commonly spread but should be treated to protect surrounding tissue.

• Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)- Found in the uppermost layers of the epidermis, SCC cancer affects squamous cells. Long term exposure to the sun can result in this form of cancer in middle to elderly aged individuals. The skin may appear to have an inflamed base with a crusty or scaly area over the base. While this cancer is most commonly found on areas of the body exposed to the sun, it can be found anywhere. Early detection and treatment can prevent this form of cancer from spreading.

• Melanoma- The most dangerous and lethal form of skin cancer, this form accounts for only 4% of diagnosed cases. Melanoma readily spreads to other areas of your body such as your lymph system or other internal organs. Most commonly found in moles either pre-existing or new, melanoma has a 95% cure rate if caught in time for treatment. It is important that you are aware of any moles on your body and what they look like so you can spot changes in existing moles or the appearance of new moles. Undetected and untreated, melanoma becomes very difficult to treat and can result in death.

Who Gets Skin Cancer?

To be quite honest, anyone can get skin cancer. There are however certain individuals who are at a higher risk than others. The following factors play a role in the likelihood of developing skin cancer:

• Individuals who are fair-skinned or burn easily.
• People who use tanning devices.
• Genetics or family history of the disease.
• Certain occupational exposures, i.e. coal tar, pitch, creosote, arsenic or radium.
• Excessive exposure to UV radiation.

Exposure to the sun is the leading cause of skin cancer which makes protecting your skin from sun exposure vitally important.

Can You Prevent Skin Cancer?

Yes, you can take precautions that lower your risk of developing skin cancer. Take all effort to reduce your exposure to sun and other controllable risk factors. This includes wearing SPF 15 or higher sunscreen everyday in addition to sunglasses and brimmed hats to shield your face from the sun. If at all possible avoid exposing your skin to sunlight during the peak of the day (10am-4pm) and give up tanning beds as they can also damage your skin.

For more information on skin cancer you can visit the American Cancer Society or National Cancer Institute.

Skin cancer treatment is given to a patient to destroy and remove a cancer and leave as small and unnoticeable scar as possible. The location and size of the skin cancer, patients health, patient's age, patients medical history and the risk of scarring will help to determine the best form of skin cancer treatment for the patient. Skin cancer treatment is usually a form of radiation therapy, surgery or chemotherapy. The doctor may even suggest a combination of these methods to eradicate the skin cancer from the patient.

Common types of skin cancer treatment are:

1. Surgery offers an easy and quick method to remove the skin cancer. The cancer is cut from the skin and the recovery time is very short.

2. Mohs surgery is a special skin cancer treatment that aims at removing a minimal amount of healthy tissue and all of the cancerous tissue. This is the best option when the doctor is apprehensive on the shape and depth of the tumour. It is also used for removing large tumours in hard-to-treat places and for treating recurring cancers. However, this type of surgery can only be done by doctors who are specially trained.

3. A popular method with doctors is to use curettage. This treatment is where cancer is scooped out using a curette which is a sharp instrument, with a spoon shaped end. Once this is done, the area is treated with electrodessication where an electric current is used to kill remaining cancer cells around the wound edges and for controlling bleeding.

4. Laser therapy is used for treating cancer involving the outer layer of skin where a narrow beam of light removes or destroys cancer cells.

5. Small skin cancers and precancerous skin conditions are best treated with cryosurgery. Here liquid nitrogen is applied to the growth to freeze and kill abnormal cells. The dead tissues falls off once the area thaws. This skin treatment does not hurt, but there may be swelling and pain once the area thaws out.

6. With topical chemotherapy, anticancer drugs such as lotion or creams are applied to the skin and are best for cancers limited to the epidermis.

7. The best treatment is radiation where high energy rays are used for damaging cancer cells and to stop them from growing. This treatment is mainly used for treating areas that are difficult to treat with surgery like the tip of the ear and nose.

8. Skin grafting may be required close to the wound if a large tumour is removed, this will help to minimize the amount of scarring. In this skin cancer treatment, a section of healthy skin from another part of the body is used for replacing skin that was removed.

Even though there is effective skin cancer treatment, it can recur elsewhere on the skin. This is why follow up treatments with regular doctor checkups, regular self examinations and following of the doctor's instructions are important to minimize the risk of skin cancer recurring again. If you have skin cancer you may be constantly worried about the cancer spreading throughout your body and getting worse. Not all cancers are curable, but many are, so never give up looking for an answer to your skin cancer problems.

Article Source : Pg. 43

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Both Tisha Kulak Tolar & Nigel M are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Tisha Kulak Tolar has sinced written about articles on various topics from Payday Loans, Finances and Credit Cards. Tisha Kulak Tolar is a writer for Fit4EverYoung.com, where she writes about , exercise, general. Tisha Kulak Tolar's top article generates over 33100 views. to your Favourites.

Nigel M has sinced written about articles on various topics from Team Building, Business and Finance and Make Money Online. Nigel is a successful webmaster and publisher of a website. This site features articles and information about. Nigel M's top article generates over 40500 views. to your Favourites.