Cancer Information You Can Use Today . Skin Cancer

By: George B. Wallace

Your skin has three basic layers: the top layer, the epidermis, is where cancer begins, commonly in response to exposure to sunlight. Normally, your skin is constantly sloughing off skin cells at a tremendous rate. This is a part of the trail that a blood hound follows by sniffing out the skin cells left behind. This process is controlled by your DNA. When the DNA becomes damaged by sunlight, the speed control on cell division no longer works properly. Cell growth accelerates, and skin cancer has begun.
What can be found with an internet search? Resources for you can use.
WHAT TO DO NOW: Three Steps
FIRST STEP: Print yourself a copy of this page.
Refer to it as you follow your own internet search for information.
This page is only intended as a quick synopsis and as place to start.
You need good information. Use the sources listed below to begin your work of informing yourself. You need to see it, read it, and understand it for yourself.
You must do this work for yourself and your loved ones. You cannot delegate away this responsibility.
SECOND STEP: Use the following internet search terms to get you started reading and learning about skin cancer.
MayoClinic.com, webmd.com, medicinenet.com, umm.edu, emedicinehealth.com, medicinenet.com, cancer.gov, cancer.org,
THIRD STEP: Here is a first fast look at what may be found. Remember, the information below is only a place to start learning.
Prevention
Prevention begins with starting now to wearing heavy duty sun blockers, long sleeved shirts, and wide brimmed hats. If you don’t think they’re stylish, start a new trend! Next, you start looking at your skin for the possible signs of skin cancer. The first signs are the slow development of precancerous lesions. This means that you need to make a written record of suspicious spots, with good descriptions as to exact location. Perhaps you could take pictures, having marked suspicious spots with circles of ink. These lesions are usually visible changes in skin that are not yet cancer. However these lesions could become cancer over time.
What are the signs to look for?
Look especially for change in the appearance of your skin of any kind. Do not ignore a suspicious spot because it does not hurt. Skin cancers are frequently painless, but still dangerous.
Look for: #A. Any skin spot that increases in size, and
#B. Also looks to have a different color-- pearly, translucent, tan, brown, black, or multicolored. Pay particular attention to any mole, birthmark, beauty mark, or any brown spot that: #1. changes in color, #2. increases in thickness or size, #3. changes in texture (for example from smooth to pebbly), #4. develops an irregular outline, #5. grows bigger than a pencil eraser. Go see a dermatologist.
#C. Any spot that appears after age 21.
#D. Any sore spot that itches, hurts, repeatedly crusts over, repeatedly scabs, erode (a pit seems to be developing), or bleeds. Go see a dermatologist.
#E. Any open sore that does not heal (and stay healed) within three weeks. Pay attention to any repeating cycle of healing, sore again, healing, etc. Go see a dermatologist.
You can take steps to protect yourself against the risk of developing cancer.
Symptoms: melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma
Carefully look at the list of signs above. While a few of the signs seem obvious indicators that something is wrong and needs to be investigated, many are less obvious and can be common experiences. Therein lies the rub. People want to think that it’s nothing. Just part of life. Everybody has these skin changes over time. This is the danger: it goes unreported for a long time, and the symptoms grow worse and a disease that is easily treated become more difficult and dangerous.
Types of Skin Cancer
The three main types of skin cancer are: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and malignant melanoma.
Who is at risk?
Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma: Those most at risk are caucasians with light hair, eyes, and complexions. People who do not tan easily. If you burn, not tan, you are at risk. It seldom occurs in dark-skinned persons. Most of these cancers are considered to be the result of exposure to the sun. Squamous cell carcinoma is most common on the face and head (most sun exposure).
Malignant melanoma: develops in the specialized skin cells that produce color in the skin. This is a pigment known as melanin. While people of color do contract this form of cancer, those most at risk for its development are usually those with blond or red hair, blue eyes and a fair complexion. As with other forms of cancer, a family history of melanoma adds to the risk. Other considerations are: many freckles, moles, a mole that changes, and high level of sun exposure.
What you can do right now.
Testing
To properly diagnose skin cancers, doctors remove a part of the growth with a biopsy. This involves taking a sample of a small piece of skin. There are several methods. The skin that is removed is examined under a microscope to look for cancer cells.
The results of this microscopic examination will be the basis of a diagnosis of your condition. Your doctor will suggest a plan for treatment.
Treatments:
#1. Curettage and desiccation: which means scooping out the problem area using an instrument called a curette. Desiccation is the use of an electric current to control bleeding and kill the remaining cancer cells. There is no stitching. Best suited for small cancers.
#2. Surgical excision: The tumor is cut out and stitched up.
#3. Radiation therapy: used for skin cancer in areas that are difficult to treat with surgery.
#4. Cryosurgery: this technique freezes carcinomas with liquid nitrogen to kill the abnormal cells.
#5. Mohs micrographic surgery: Named for its pioneer, Dr. Frederic Mohs. In this method of removing skin cancer, the surgeon removes a small piece of the tumor and examines it under the microscope. This is repeated so that the carcinoma is mapped and removed. This method removes as little of the healthy tissue as possible.

If you have surgery, even if the doctor removes all the cancer that is seen at the time of the operation, additional treatments may be given after surgery to kill any cancer cells that may be left. Treatment given after the surgery is called adjuvant therapy.
Side Effects
Scarring and Plastic surgery: Scarring is a common result of skin cancer surgery. Your doctor will do his/her best to minimize this result, but worries about scarring take a back seat to successful treatment.
Plastic surgery of several types may be used to make scaring less obvious and emotionally painful.
A better plan is to do your part in prevention of skin cancer.
There is hope. Do not jump to unfounded conclusions. Read, learn, study, and understand your options.

Article Source: http://www.retirementlivingarticledirectory.com

(c) Copyright 2008: George Wallace recently published a book on religion which lashes out at nearly all of the comfortable ideas about God, the trappings of organized religion, and the priesthood. His pithy comments and suggestions for a return to a God-centered personal religion will interest everyone. This article may be freely reprinted so long as all copyright attributions, and the full content of this resource box are included. www.OhGodIsThatYou.com

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