Skin cancer
Skin
Risk factors
Types of skin cancer
Skin cancer
Causes
The largest organ of the body
Its thickness varies, ranging form 0.5mm in eyelids, to 0.4mm
Composed of two layers
Epidermis
Dermis
Superficial layer and consist of epithelial
Is below the epidermis and composed of connective tissue
Abnormal growth of skin cells that most often develops on skin that is exposed to the sun
It can also occur on areas of skin that are not ordinarily exposed to sunlight
Errors called mutations affect in the DNA of skin cells
The mutations cause the cells to grow out of control and form a mass of cancer cells
Most of the damage comes from UV radiation found in sunlight
Begins in the epidermis
Signs and symptoms
Treatment
Complications and preventions
Basal cell carcinoma
Squamous cell carcinoma
Melanoma
Early detection, are identify by the acronym ABCD with:
A= asymmetry B=border. C= color D= diameter
Will vary depending on the size, type, depth and locations of the lesions
Fair skin
History of sunburns
Excessive sun exposure
Sunny or high-altitude climates
Having moles or precancerous lesions
Personal or family history
Exposure to radiation or to certain substances
A weakened immune system
But for small skin cancer, it may not need more than the initial skin biopsy, which consist in
Freezing the tumor
Excisiones surgery
Radiation therapy
Chemotheraoy
Most of them, are caused by too much exposure to ultraviolet UV rays
Links
Begin in the basal and squamous layer if the skin
A change of your skin, is the most common sign of skin cancer
Change in the mole, a sore that doesn't heal, but not all skin cancers look the same
preventions
You can protect your skin from UV rays from the sun and from artificial sources like tang beds and sunlamps
Reporting any unusual moles or changes in your skin to your docotr
Symptoms
An open sore that bleeds, oozes or crusts and remains open for several weeks
A reddish, raised patch or irritated area
Shiny pink, red pearly white or translucent bump
Removing the cancer with surgery or using a topical treatment will cure the disease
Complications
Recurrence, when the cancer comes back
Local recurrence: when the cancer cells spread to surroundings tissues
Metastasis: cancer cells spread to muscles, nerves or other organs in your body
