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General Risk Factors For Skin Cancer
There are many risk factors for developing skin cancer ranging from sun exposure
to moles to family history:
- Exposure to ultraviolet rays and sunburn: People who
have experienced prolonged exposure to sunlight and tanning booths are at an
increased risk to develop skin cancer. The amount of exposure depends on the
intensity of the light, length of time the skin was exposed, and whether the
skin was protected with either clothing or sunscreen. In addition, severe
sunburn in childhood or teenage years can increase the risk of skin cancer.
- Skin coloring/pigmentation: People with fair skin are
20 times more likely to develop skin cancer than people with darker skin.
Caucasian people with red or blonde hair and fair skin that freckles or burns
easily are at the highest risk. People with darker pigmentation can also
develop skin cancer, more likely on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet,
under the nails or inside the mouth.
- Moles: Individuals with moles may be at increased
risk of developing melanoma, especially if the moles are unusual, large or
multiple.
- Family history: Risk of developing melanoma is higher
if one or more members of a person's immediate family have been diagnosed.
- Immune suppression: People who have illnesses
affecting their immune system (such as HIV) or who are taking medicines to
suppress their immune system (such as after an organ transplant) are at an
increased risk of skin cancer.
- Occupational exposure: Individuals exposed to coal tar, pitch,
creosote, arsenic compounds or radium are at increased risk to develop skin
cancer.
Facts About Skin Cancer
- More than 1 million cases of basal and squamous cell
skin cancers will be diagnosed in the United States this year. These cancers
can usually be cured.
- Nearly 60,000 cases of melanoma are diagnosed
annually. Nearly 5,000 men and 2,900 women will die from the disease this
year.
- Skin cancer usually occurs in adults but can sometimes affect children
and teenagers.
About Skin Cancer
The skin is the body's largest organ. Its job is to protect internal organs
against damage, heat and infection. The skin is also the most exposed organ
to sunlight and other forms of harmful ultraviolet rays. There are three major
types of skin cancer.
- Basal cell carcinoma: The most common form of skin
cancer. These cancers begin in the outer layer of skin (epidermis).
- Squamous cell carcinoma: The second most common type
of skin cancer. These cancers also begin in the epidermis.
- Melanoma: The most serious skin cancer, it begins in skin cells
called melanocytes that produce skin color (melanin).
If caught and treated early, most skin cancers can be cured. Be sure to talk
to your doctor about anything unusual on your skin.
Signs Of Skin Cancer
Skin cancer can be detected early and it is important to check your own skin
on a monthly basis. You should take note of new marks or moles on your skin
and whether or not they have changed in size or appearance. The American Cancer
Society's "ABCD rule" can help distinguish a normal mole from melanoma:
- Asymmetry: The two halves of a mole do not match.
- Border irregularity: The edges of the mole are ragged
and uneven.
- Color: Differing shades of tan, brown or black and
sometimes patches of red, blue or white.
- Diameter: The mole is wider than a quarter inch in size.
The American Cancer Society recommends a skin examination by a doctor every
three years for people between 20 and 40 years of age and every year for anyone
over the age of 40.
Diagnosing Skin Cancer
If initial test results show abnormal skin cells, your doctor may refer you
to a skin specialist called a dermatologist. If the dermatologist thinks that
skin cancer may be present, a biopsy, or sample of skin from the suspicious
area, will be checked for cancer. There are three types of biopsies to test
for skin cancer.
- Shave biopsy: The doctor "shaves" or scrapes off the
top layers of the skin with a surgical blade.
- Punch biopsy: This type removes a deeper skin sample
with a tool that resembles a tiny cookie cutter.
- Incisional and excisional biopsies: For an incisional biopsy, a
surgeon cuts through the full thickness of skin and removes a wedge for further
examination. An excisional biopsy is when the entire tumor is removed.
Other tests such as a chest X-ray, CT scan or MRI may be used to see if the
cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
Treating Skin Cancer
The treatment you receive depends on several factors including your overall
health, stage of the disease and whether the cancer has spread to other parts
of your body. Treatments are often combined and can include:
- Radiation therapy where the cancer cells are killed
by X-rays.
- Surgery where the cancer cells are cut out and
removed.
- Electrodessication where the cancer is dried with an
electric current and removed.
- Cryosurgery where the cancer is frozen and removed.
- Laser surgery where the cancer cells are killed by
laser beams.
- Chemotherapy where the cancer cells are attacked by a
drug that is either taken internally or applied on the skin.
- Photodynamic therapy where the cancer is covered with
a drug that becomes active when exposed to light.
- Biologic therapy where doctors help your immune system better fight
the cancer.
Understanding Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy, is the careful use of radiation
to treat many different kinds of cancer.
- Cancer doctors, called radiation oncologists, use
radiation therapy to try to cure cancer, to control cancer growth or to
relieve symptoms such as pain.
- Radiation therapy works within cancer cells by
damaging their ability to multiply. When these cells die, the body naturally
eliminates them.
- Healthy cells that grow and divide quickly are also harmed by radiation,
but they are able to repair themselves in a way cancer cells cannot.
External Beam Radiation Therapy
External beam radiation therapy may be used to treat skin cancer and to relieve
pain from cancer that has spread to the brain or bone.
- Treatments are usually scheduled every day, Monday
through Friday, for several weeks to accurately deliver radiation to the
cancer.
- Treatments are painless and take less than half an
hour each, start to finish.
- Radiation therapy is often given in addition to
surgery, chemotherapy or biologic therapy.
- Skin cancer is often treated with superficial forms
of radiation that penetrate only a short distance below the surface.
- Doctors will target the radiation beams at your tumor to give more
radiation to the skin cancer while keeping it away from underlying organs.
Potential Side Effects
You may have little or no side effects from radiation therapy and be able to
keep up your normal activities.
- Side effects are usually limited to the part of your
body that receives radiation.
- Skin changes such as redness, dryness or itching are
common side effects.
- You will also likely lose your hair in the area
treated.
- Side effects should go away when the treatment ends.
Talk to your doctor or nurse about any discomfort you feel. He or she may be
able to provide drugs or other treatments to help.
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