|
What is Skin Cancer?
Skin cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the skin.
The skin is the body's largest organ
It protects against heat, sunlight, injury, and infection. Skin also helps control body temperature and stores water, fat, and vitamin D. The skin has several layers, but the two main layers are the epidermis (upper or outer layer) and the dermis (lower or inner layer). Skin cancer begins in the epidermis, which is made up of 3 kinds of cells:
- Squamous cells: Thin, flat cells that form the top layer of the epidermis.
- Basal cells: Round cells under the squamous cells.
- Melanocytes: Found in the lower part of the epidermis, these cells make melanin, the pigment that gives skin its natural color. When skin is exposed to the sun, melanocytes make more pigment, causing the skin to darken.
Skin Cancer Picture
Skin cancer can occur anywhere on the body, but it is most common in skin that has been exposed to sunlight, such as the face, neck, hands, and arms. There are several types of cancer that start in the skin. The most common types are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, which are nonmelanoma skin cancers. Actinic keratosis is a skin condition that sometimes develops into squamous cell carcinoma.
This summary refers to the treatment of nonmelanoma skin cancer and actinic keratosis. Nonmelanoma skin cancers rarely spread to other parts of the body. Melanoma, the rarest form of skin cancer, is more likely to invade nearby tissues and spread to other parts of the body.
Risk factors for basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma include the following:
- Skin color and exposure to sunlight can affect the risk of developing nonmelanoma skin cancer and actinic keratosis.
- Being exposed to a lot of natural or artificial sunlight.
- Having a fair complexion (blond or red hair, fair skin, green or blue eyes, history of freckling).
- Having scars or burns on the skin.
- Being exposed to arsenic.
- Having chronic skin inflammation or skin ulcers.
- Being treated with radiation.
- Taking immunosuppressive drugs (for example, after an organ transplant).
- Having actinic keratosis.
Risk factors for actinic keratosis include the following:
- Being exposed to a lot of sunlight.
- Having a fair complexion (blond or red hair, fair skin, green or blue eyes, history of freckling).
- Nonmelanoma skin cancer and actinic keratosis often appear as a change in the skin.
Possible signs of nonmelanoma skin cancer include the following:
Not all changes in the skin are a sign of nonmelanoma skin cancer or actinic keratosis, but a doctor should be consulted if changes in the skin are seen.
Possible signs of actinic keratosis include the following:
A rough, red, pink, or brown, raised, scaly patch on the skin.
Cracking or peeling of the lower lip that is not helped by lip balm or petroleum jelly.
Tests or procedures that examine the skin are used to detect (find) and diagnose nonmelanoma skin cancer and actinic keratosis.
The following procedures may be used:
Skin examination: A doctor or nurse checks the skin for bumps or spots that look abnormal in color, size, shape, or texture.
Biopsy: All or part of the abnormal-looking growth is cut from the skin and viewed under a microscope by a pathologist to see if cancer cells are present. There are 3 main types of skin biopsies:
Shave biopsy: A sterile razor blade is used to "shave-off" the abnormal-looking growth.
Punch biopsy: A special instrument called a punch or a trephine is used to remove a circle of tissue from the abnormal-looking growth.
Excisional biopsy: A scalpel is used to remove the entire growth.
The prognosis (chance of recovery) depends mostly on the stage of the cancer and the type of treatment used to remove the cancer. Treatment options depend on the following:
The stage of the cancer (whether it has spread deeper into the skin or to other places in the body).
- The type of cancer.
- The size and location of the tumor.
- The patient's general health.
National Cancer Institute
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Skin Cancer: Keep Your Skin Safe The two most common types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma which are usually curable. The third type, melanoma, is much more dangerous and one of the most common cancers in young adults.
|
|
Knowing the Difference between Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Basal Cell Carcinoma? Basal Cell Carcinoma and Squamous Cell Cancers are the most common Non-melanoma skin cancers and they can appear in a variety of forms. Skin cancer cells are located at the base of the outer layer of the skin or cover the internal and external surfaces of the body. Most non melanoma skin cancers develop on sun-exposed areas of the body, like the face, ear, neck, lips, and the backs of the hands. Each type, has varied growing rates and characteristics, if untreated they can spread to other parts of the body.
|
|
How To Find Out If You Have Skin Cancer Any change in a mole's shape, edges, size or color should be checked by a physician. If a mole becomes larger than that of a pencil eraser or if it's color is multiple shades of brown rather than a solid color, these are both potential warning signs of skin cancer. A mole's border should be well defined and, if that is no longer the case, notify your doctor.
|
|
Skin Cancer - a Reminder We need to get alerted: skin cancer is the most popular cancer. Every year, more than 1,000,000 skin cancer cases are diagnosed and tens of thousands of skin cancer patients die in the U.S. alone. The number of skin cancer exceeds that of all other cancers combined. Among more than 1 million of skin cancer cases, 100,000 are melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer and there is no cure for it.
|
|
Melanin: Aging of the Skin and Skin Cancer Melanin offers protection against UV rays for blacks and other dark-skinned people. Conversely, fair-skinned people are much less protected and more susceptible to skin cancer. Furthermore, albinos' skin offers no protection. Although blacks' skin produces more melanin than whites', all skin has the same number of melanocytes, the cells that manufacture the melanin.
|
|
Skin Cancer Protection and Detection Basal cell and squamous cell cancers are the most common, but melanoma is the most deadly. Melanoma is responsible for over seven thousand deaths a year and the incidence is increasing rapidly. Melanoma is now the number one cancer in younger women and second only to breast cancer in women over the age of 30. White and fair skin people are at the greatest risk. However, skin cancer is deadlier among African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians, even though their risk is less.
|
|
|
