skin cancer disease

 

Page contents

• What is skin cancer?
• symptoms
• Causes and risk factors
• Multiples
• Diagnosis
• treatment
• protection

Skin cancer is an abnormal proliferation of skin cells that originates and develops in most cases on the face of skin that is exposed to a lot of sunlight. However, this common type of cancer can also develop in areas of the skin that are not exposed to much sunlight.

Types of skin cells

The epidermis contains three types of cells:

• Squamous cells: They are located just below the outer layer and form the inner lining of the skin.
• Basal cells: They are responsible for the production of new skin cells and are located under the squamous cells.
• Pigment cells: They are the ones that produce melanin, which gives the skin its natural color, and these cells are located in the deep part of the epidermis.

Pigment cells produce an excess amount of melanin when exposed to the sun in order to protect the deeper layers of the skin, and it is this excess production of melanin that gives the skin its appearance.

Types of skin cancer

There are three common types of skin cancer, which are as follows:

• Basal cell carcinoma - BCC.
• Squamous cell carcinoma - SCC.
• Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer.

These three types of skin cancer all have a high prevalence and appearance, although skin cancer can be prevented and prevented the bulk of it by reducing or avoiding unnecessary exposure to ultraviolet rays, and by paying attention to suspicious and suspicious changes appear in the skin.

Through early detection, very high rates of success can be achieved in treating most cases of skin cancer, including the most aggressive and deadly forms and types.

Other, less common types of skin cancer include:

• 
  
• Kaposi's sarcoma.
• Merkel Cell Carcinoma - MCC.
• Mammary gland cancer.

Areas of the body in which it is spread

Skin cancer primarily originates and develops on areas of the body that are exposed to sunlight, including:

• the face.
• Scalp.
• lips;
• ears.
• the neck.
• the chest.
• Hands and arms.

But it can also develop in areas of the body that are exposed to sunlight infrequently, such as: the palms of the hands, under the nails, the spaces between the toes, and under the toenails, as well as in the genital area.

Skin cancer affects people of different races and genders with different skin colors, including those with very dark skin, and when melanoma-type cancer appears in people with dark skin, it may appear specifically and specifically in areas of the body that are not usually exposed to sunlight.

A cancerous tumor in the skin may appear suddenly or may develop gradually, and the shape and nature of the tumor depends on the type of cancer

Skin cancer symptoms

Symptoms associated with each type of cancer include:

1. Symptoms of basal cell carcinoma

This is the most common type of skin cancer, and at the same time, it is the type that is relatively easy to treat and the least widespread in the body.

Basal cell carcinoma usually presents in one of two ways:

• A pearl-shaped, or wax-like bump that appears on the face, ears, or back of the neck.
• A flat, skin-colored or brown-colored scar that appears on the chest or back.

2. Symptoms of squamous cell carcinoma

This type can be treated relatively easily if detected in its early stages, but it tends to spread and metastasize in the body more quickly than basal cell carcinomas.

Squamous cell carcinoma usually presents with one of the following two forms:

• 
  
• A small, hard, red lump that appears on the face, lips, ears, the back of the neck, or the palms of the hands.
• A flat, scaly scar that appears on the face, ears, back of the neck, arms, or palms of the hands.

3. Symptoms of melanoma

Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer and is responsible for the bulk of deaths from skin cancer. Melanoma can appear and develop anywhere in the body, and melanoma usually appears on the nose, head, or neck in men, while it appears This type of cancer in women is most often on the arms or legs.

Warning signs that warn of the danger of melanoma include the following:

A large brown spot with tiny dots that can appear anywhere on the body.

A simple mole that may have been present anywhere on the body that changes color, size, or texture, or bleeds.

A small, indistinct wound with red, white, or blue-black dots that appear on the nose or extremities.

Shiny, solid, dome-shaped tubercles that can be anywhere on the body.

Dark wounds that appear on the palms of the hands, palms of the feet, the tips of the fingers and toes, or on the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, vagina and anus.

There are precancerous scars such as actinic keratosis that may progress to malignant melanoma type sarcoma. Actinic keratosis appears as a kind of rough, crusty, brown or dark pink patch that appears mainly on the face, ears, and lower legs of people Those with fair skin that have been damaged by sunlight.

Not all changes that occur in the skin are precancerous, the only way to be sure of this is to have the skin examined by a physician or a dermatologist.

Causes and risk factors for skin cancer

Skin cancer begins to develop on the surface of the upper outer layer of the skin. The thickness of the skin is like a thin line drawn by a pencil and it forms a protective layer made up of skin cells that the body sheds constantly.

Dermal cells within the epidermal layer usually multiply in a measured and regular manner, as new cells usually push the old cells towards the surface of the skin, where the old cells die and eventually fall off.

This entire process is controlled and regulated by deoxyribonucleic acid - DNA which is the genetic material that contains the instructions that regulate and control any biological or chemical process that occurs in the body.

A defect in this process is one of the most important causes of skin cancer. When there is a defect in the DNA, changes occur in the instructions that it transmits, which may lead to the multiplication and growth of new cells in an uncontrolled and chaotic manner, and then the formation of a mass of cancer cells.

The effect of ultraviolet rays (UV - Ultraviolet)

Most of the damage that occurs to RNA in skin cells is caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

Ultraviolet light is divided into three types in terms of wavelength: ultraviolet A (UVA), ultraviolet B (UVB), and ultraviolet C (UVC), only A and B rays can reach the globe, while C rays are Completely absorbed by the ozone layer.

In the past, scientists believed that only UV-B rays were a stimulating factor for the growth of cancerous skin cells. It was believed that UV-B rays caused the greatest damage to RNA in skin cells, including the activation of Oncogene, a type of gene whose activation leads to the transformation of healthy cells into cancerous tissue.

It has been shown that ultraviolet B rays are responsible for sunburn and lead to the emergence of carcinomas in basal cells and squamous cells, but ultraviolet A rays also have a role and influence in the emergence and development of skin cancer, as they penetrate the skin more deeply than the rays. Ultraviolet B type, weakens the immune system and increases the risk of skin cancer, especially melanoma.

risk factors

The following factors may increase the risk of developing skin cancer:

• 
  
• Light skin tone.
• Sunburn injury.
• Unnecessary exposure to sunlight.
• Very sunny areas.
• moles;
• A family history of skin cancer.
• A personal history of skin cancer.
• Weakened immune system.
• Sensitive skin.
• Exposure to environmental risk factors.
• the age.

Skin cancer complications

The most common complications of cancer include:

• Cancer returns after treatment.
• Spread of cancer cells to surrounding tissues.
• Cancer cells have spread to muscles, nerves, or other organs in your body.

Skin cancer diagnosis

Consult your doctor if you notice a new skin tumor, a suspicious change that appears on the skin, a change in the appearance or feel of moles, or the appearance of a wound that does not heal within two weeks.

A doctor may suspect that a tumor is cancerous only by looking closely at the skin, but in order to obtain a reliable and confirmed diagnosis that the tumor is cancerous in the skin, the attending physician or dermatologist must take a small sample of the affected skin to be examined and diagnosed in the laboratory, The biopsy can usually be taken in the doctor's room using only local anesthesia.

skin cancer levels

Skin cancer can be classified into two levels:

• Localized: At this level, only skin cancer is affected.
• Metastatic: at this level the cancer has also spread under the skin.

Because superficial cancers such as basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma often don't tend to spread, a biopsy is usually sufficient to determine the grade of the cancer.

But if there is a large tumor or a tumor that develops for a long time and continuously, the doctor will need to perform some other tests to determine the extent of the spread of the cancer.

Guide to self-diagnosis of skin cancer

To diagnose melanoma or other types of skin cancer, one can use the A - B - C - D - E guide, developed by the American Center for the Study of Dermatology, as follows:

• A: Assimetry: Look for moles that have unclear shapes and contours, such as two halves of a mole that are asymmetric or mismatched in shape.
• B means Border: Look for moles that have blurred borders, are wrinkled or have fissures, which is the most prominent characteristic of melanoma.
• C is color: look for moles that are different or not uniform in colour.
• D is Diameter: Look for moles larger than 6 millimeters in diameter.
• E means Evolving: Look for moles that change over time, such as: a mole that gets larger or changes color or shape over time. A change in a mole can also manifest itself in new symptoms such as local irritation or bleeding.

Skin cancer treatment

Treatment for skin cancer and precancerous wounds, also called actinic keratosis, varies depending on the tumor's size, type, depth and location.

In most cases, skin cancer is treated by removing the abnormal cells or destroying them with local drug therapy. In most cases, skin cancer treatment requires only local anesthesia, and skin cancer treatment can be carried out in an outpatient setting.

Sometimes no additional treatment may be required than a biopsy by which the entire tumor is removed, but if additional treatment is required, the possibilities may include the following:

• Freezing.
• Surgical excision.
• Laser skin cancer treatment.
• Microsurgery.
• Radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Skin cancer prevention

Most cases of skin cancer can be prevented and prevented by following these guidelines:

• Avoid exposure to the sun between ten in the morning and four in the afternoon.
• Wear sunscreen.
• Raising awareness about medications that increase sensitivity to sunlight.
• Have skin checks frequently and tell your doctor if there are changes.
• Ensure that regular skin examinations are carried out in the clinic.
• Make sure to use sunscreen every day of the year.

To achieve the maximum degree of protection and prevention, the sunscreen ointment should be applied about 20 minutes before up to half an hour after exposure to the sun, then reapply the ointment every two hours throughout the day, and care should be taken to apply the ointment again after entering the water and after doing an activity physical.

Make sure you apply sunscreen to young children before they go outdoors, and teach children and teens how to use sunscreen to protect themselves.

Share the article

Share on Facebook