Skin cancers develop when the pattern of cell growth in skin changes due to various factors such as Ultraviolet light. We will discuss and discover the facts about skin cancer
Skin cancer involves abnormal cell growth in your skin tissues. Normally, the cells in the body have a certain period after which the cell dies off by themselves, and new cells come in its place. When certain factors interfere with the process of cell formation and cell death, such as after exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun, cells start growing more rapidly. This cell growth can be non cancerous, known as benign, which is usually harmless, or they can be cancerous as well.
The cancer can spread to nearby tissues known as metastasizing.
What Are the Types of Skin Cancer?
Some types of skin cancer are:
- Basal cell carcinoma (BCC)
- Melanoma
- Non-melanoma skin cancer
- Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin
Some other types of skin cancer are
- Kaposi sarcoma
- Merkel cell carcinoma
- Sebaceous gland carcinoma
- Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans
- Sebaceous carcinoma
- DFSP- dermatofibrosarcoma protuberance
What Are the Causes and Risk Factors for Developing Skin Cancer?
The primary reason for skin cancer development is overexposure to sunlight, the probability of developing skin cancer increases if you have sunburn or blistering.
The UV rays of sun possess the ability to damage the DNA present in your skin, which may lead to abnormal cell growth. these abnormal cell growth can lead to cancer cells mass development.
Probability of Developing Skin Cancer Increases Due to Certain Factors, Such As
- If you spend a considerable time being exposed to sun
- Have history of getting sunburnt often
- If you use tanning beds
- If you have irregularly shaped moles
- Your residence is in high altitude sunny climate
- If you have fair freckled skin, red/blond hair or light colored eyes.
- If you have developed actinic keratosis. It is a precancerous skin lesion having rough, scaly, brown to dark pink patches.
- Have some family member who has skin cancer
- If you have had organ transplant
- If you're on immunosuppressant medications
- If you have undergone UV light exposure for treating certain skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Skin Cancer?
A skin cancer typically represents ABCDE
- A represents Asymmetry meaning the cancer has irregular shape
- B represents Border, the Cancer has blurry irregular edges
- C represent Colour, with a mole/Cancerous growth having more than one colour
- D representing Diameter, With Cancer having More Than 6mm Diameter.
- E represents Evolution, where the enlarging, shape, colours and size changing are the most important signs of a cancerous cell mass.
Other Signs And Symptoms Specific To Cancer Type Are Explained Below
Basal Cell Carcinoma
This type of skin cancer usually occurs due to sun exposure of especially head and neck region
- Waxy or pearly bump
- Scar like lesion which can be flat, flesh-coloured or brown in colour
- Recurrent Scabbing sores that may bleed
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
The SCC occurs mostly in sun exposed face, ears and hands are. Also darkr skin people are more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma
- Red and firm nodule
- Scaly, crusted flat lesion
Melanoma
It can occur in any body part but face and trunk regions in men and palm, soles, fingernails or toenails in darker people remain most affected.
- A large dark speckled brown spots
- Mole that changes its colour, size, or feel which may bleed
- irregularly bordered Small lesions having portions that appear red, pink, white, blue or blue-black.
- Painful, itchy or burning lesions
- Dark lesions occurring in soles,fingernails, toes, palms or mucus membranes of nose, mouth , vagina or anus.
Diagnosis of Skin Cancer
Skin cancer can be diagnosed using various methods such as
- Skin examination
- Skin biopsy procedures such a
- Shave biopsy
- Punch biopsy
- Excisional biopsy
- Incisional biopsy
- Lymph node biopsy
- Imaging tests such as
Some of the Above Diagnostic Procedures Are Explained Below
- Skin Examination- your doctor might examine your skin to look for signs that represent features of a skin cancer.
- Skin Biopsy- In biopsy procedure, a small amount of suspicious skin piece is removed and examined under a microscope for determining the presence of a skin cancer.
- Imaging tests- The imaging tests such as a PET scan, CT scan, X-ray or others stand painless and non-invasive diagnostic approach that helps produce clear images of the internal organs of the body.
- Blood tests- a skin cancer is very less likely to get diagnosed using blood tests such as a CBC blood test. Although these tests can be used to measure the effectiveness of the treatment for already diagnosed skin cancer.
How Can Skin Cancer Be Treated?
The effective treatment plan can only be made with determination of stage of cancer, diagnostic results and doctor thorough inspection and examination. Certain treatment modalities are
- Cryotherapy- liquid nitrogen is used to freeze the cancer which gets sloughed off.
- Excisional surgery- small localised cancers are removed as a whole using excisional surgery.
- Mohs surgery- this procedure involves removing diseased tissue cells. Mostly performed in the
- Curettage and electrodesiccation- this technique is used in Squamous cell carcinomas or basal cell carcinomas. Once maximum cancer is removed, a circular bladed curette is used to destruct residual cancer cells, using liquid nitrogen.
- Chemotherapy- drugs are used to reduce and kill cancer cells as chemotherapy. This approach is used in metastatic cancers.
- Immunotherapy- your immune system is trained using immunotherapy to help kill cancer. Mostly performed for basal and squamous cell carcinoma.
- Radiation therapy- radiations that involve high powered energy beams, such as an X-ray are used to kill cancer cells. This approach is used when surgery alone is insufficient in cancer removal.
- Photodynamic therapy- a laserlight and drug combined approach is used in photodynamic therapy to help kill the light sensitive cancer cells.
- Biological therapy- this therapy uses immune cells to conquer cancer cells
Conclusion
Cancer stands to be a dangerous and life threatening disease if not detected and treated timely, therefore a timely diagnosis from the best institutes holds most importance. Ganesh diagnostics and imaging centre helps deliver timely reports and accurate results.
For Free Consultation From the Doctor
Get connected to our doctor directly
- Dr. Ravin Sharma MBBS, MD Radiology
- Phone Number- 9212125996
- Available- 24*7*365
Why Ganesh Diagnostic and Imaging Center For You?
Ganesh Diagnostic Centre has been an established and renowned diagnostic centre since 2001.
We have many PET CT scan imaging which can offer report Images online as well. We also offer FLAT 50% OFF on many test.
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We are known for providing excellent service and care to its patients for decades having created Lakhs of satisfied patients over the years!
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