Skin Cancer

Skin Cancer

Skin cancer occurs from mutations in healthy skin cell’s DNA, which causes the cells to start growing uncontrollable. The skin is made up of three different types of cells, the squamous cells, basal cells and melanocytes. Squamous cells are located just below the surface of the skin with basal cells beneath them and melanocytes beneath the basal cells. Depending on the skin cells that are affected by the cancer, this will determine the type of cancer it is and the treatment.
Signs & Symptoms of Skin Cancer

Basal cell skin cancer usually develops from sun-exposure and may occur on the scalp, ears or face. Its appearance may be that of a waxy bump or a scar-like lesion that is flat and brown or flesh-colored. Squamous cell skin cancer also usually occurs from sun-exposure although it is more likely to occur on the lips, face, hands or ears. This type of skin cancer appears either as a flat crusty and scaly lesion or as a red and hard
nodule. Melanoma can affect the skin anywhere on the body as well as a mole. This form of skin cancer usually appears on the neck, truck or head of men and the lower legs of women. It may appear as a mole that changes in size, color or feel, a large brown spot that has speckled darker spots or a small sore that appears raggedy-edged with parts of it white, red, blue or bluish-black. It can also appear on the mucus membranes of the nosnce, mouth, anus and vagina as a dark lesion.
Diagnosing Skin Cancer

A physician usually diagnoses skin cancer by first doing a thorough examination of the skin and then performing a skin biopsy. This consists of the physician taking a sample of the affected skin and sending it to a lab for testing. This is usually sufficient for determining if it is cancerous and what type it is. There are two stages of skin cancer, local, where the cancer has not spread and is only affecting the skin and metastatic, where the cancer has spread to other parts of the body besides the skin. Depending on the type of cancer that is diagnosed will determine the treatment.
Treatments

Skin cancer that remains localized is often treated by simply removing the area of growth. This can be accomplished by excisional surgery where the physician cuts away the cancerous skin and surrounding skin, laser treatment, which vaporizes the growth and curettage and electrodessication, which is done after the growth has been excised to destroy any remaining cancerous cells. More serious cases of skin cancer are often treated with chemotherapy, radiation, biological therapy or photodynamic therapy.
Prevention

To help prevent skin cancer, individuals should wear sunscreen whenever outdoors, avoid extreme sunlight, especially during the middle hours of the day, wear clothing that protects the skin from the sun, examine the skin regularly for any changes, including the back and avoid the use of tanning devices such as beds and lamps. If moles are located where they are prone to continueous friction, they should be removed.

Source: Beauty-Advance