Skin cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer nowadays. It is estimated that there are more than 1 million new cases every year. No wonder that concern about it increases with each day.
What exactly is skin cancer and how it can be recognized? It is characterized by changes on the skin that are persistent and could not bee healed. Since it usually attacks outer skin, is visible even in the early phases of the disease. That’s why this type of cancer can be detected and diagnosed more easily.
There are three types of skin cancer, depending on the different skin cells: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, with its first stage – actinic keratosis and melanoma. The first two are numerous and are often called non-melanoma skin cancer.
- Basal cell carcinoma: it usually attacks head – especially face, neck and shoulder areas and often looks like lifted, even, round-like bulge, sometimes with visible blood vessels on it. This type of tumor often bleeds and crusts in the middle, but it’s the least deadly type of skin cancer and if diagnosed on time and treated adequately, can be eliminated as much as in 90%. These cancers can not metastaze.
Risk factors for basal cell carcinoma are sun exposure, age (older people), artificial sun tanning in cabins and therapeutic radiation used for treatment of other types of cancer.
Treatment of this type can vary and may include curettage and desiccation, surgical removal, radiation therapy, cryosurgery and Mohs micrographic surgery, commonly used for large basal cell carcinoma.
- Squamous cell carcinoma: usually looks like red, scaling, stiffened spot on the skin that had been exposed to sun. Some of these may be solid blemishes. They may bleed. If not diagnosed on time and not treated properly, this type of skin cancer can spread on other parts of the body and metastaze.
Risk factors for this type of carcinoma are exposure to sun, arsenic, X-rays, heat, hydrocarbons; some tumors may arise from old scars or immune system suppression.
Treatment: The same methods of treatment are used both for basal and squamous cell carcinoma. But the later one can also be treated by medical therapy using creams which combat cancer cells or energize immune system.
- Melanoma: this is the third and most dangerous type of skin cancer. It occurs when pigment cells convert into malignant cells. They are dark (brown to black) looking lesions. People should pay attention to their moles – if they notice any change in their shapes, color or size, it is recommended to go to a doctor, because those might be warning alarms about possible melanoma. Further signs are new moles on adults, pain, itching, bleeding of a mole.
Risk factors: Dysplastic nevi – atypical moles, large number of moles (more than 50), light skin, personal and family history of melanoma, impaired immune system, serious sunburns, UV radiation.
Treatment: it depends on the extend and phase of the disease, age and patient’s health in general. Options include surgery, chemotherapy, biological therapy or radiation therapy. Combination of these therapies can also be used.
