Melanoma Skin Cancer: Signs, Symptoms, Treatments

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Skin cancers are cancers that arise from the skin. They are due to the development of abnormal cells that can invade or spread to other body parts. There are three main types: basal cell cancer (BCC), squamous cell cancer (SCC), and melanoma. The first two, and several less common skin cancers, are known as non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). Basal cell cancer grows slowly and can damage the surrounding tissue but is unlikely to spread to distant areas or result in death.

The U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) has included Malignant Melanoma with metastases as a Compassionate Allowance to expedite a disability claim.

Skin cancer is one of the world's most prevalent forms of cancer. It strikes any age group and can be deadly if not treated. Approximately one in six people will develop skin cancer. Medical experts unanimously agree that overexposure to sunlight is the main culprit. Other factors include sunburn with blistering, especially during childhood, skin creams that contain tar if used over a prolonged period, repeated X-rays, exposure to coal and arsenic, radiation, chemotherapy, and family history. Freckles with fair skin that don't tan easily can also put one at risk.

Melanoma

A Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes found predominantly in the skin, the bowel, and the eye. It is one of the rarer types of skin cancer but causes most skin cancer-related deaths. Malignant melanoma is a serious type of skin cancer. It is due to the uncontrolled growth of pigment cells called melanocytes. Despite many years of intensive laboratory and clinical research, the sole effective cure is surgical resection of the primary tumor before it achieves a Breslow thickness greater than 1 mm.

Generally, an individual's risk for developing melanoma depends on two groups of factors: intrinsic and environmental. "Intrinsic" factors are generally an individual's family history and inherited genotype, while the most relevant environmental factor is sun exposure.

Squamous cell cancer

This is also a hazardous skin cancer type.

This type of skin cancer does not spread regularly as it shows its impact occasionally, and when it spreads all over the body, it could be much more dangerous than melanoma.

Warning signs include a crusty surface on the arms or face, a flesh-colored or brown lesion on the back or chest, or a waxy bump on the neck, face, or ears.

This type of cancer is not likely to spread to other body areas; it's also fairly easy to treat.

Basal Cell Skin Cancer

This is the third, last, and most common type of skin cancer.

Basal-cell carcinoma (BCC), also known as basal-cell cancer, the most common type of skin cancer, often appears as a painless raised area of skin that may be shiny with small blood vessels running over it - or it may present as a raised area with ulceration.

Basal-cell cancer grows slowly and can damage the surrounding tissue but is unlikely to spread to distant areas or to result in death.

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Less Common Forms of Skin Cancer

• Merkel cell carcinoma is rare, although it can spread rapidly. The warning signs are firm, shiny nodules found in hair follicles and just below the skin on areas of the body exposed to the sun.
• Also rare is Kaposi's sarcoma, found mainly in people with a weakened immune system; warning signs are purple patches on the skin.
• Sebaceous gland carcinoma is characterized by hard nodules on the body, especially on the eyelid.

Skin Cancer Signs and Symptoms

There are a variety of different skin cancer symptoms. These include changes in the skin that do not heal, ulcers in the skin, discolored skin, and changes in existing moles, such as jagged edges to the mole and enlargement of the mole.

• Merkel cell carcinomas: Most often rapidly growing, non-tender red, purple, or skin-colored bumps that are not painful or itchy.
• Squamous cell carcinoma: Commonly a red, scaling, thickened patch on sun-exposed skin. Some are firm, hard nodules and dome-shaped like keratoacanthomas.
• Basal cell carcinoma: Usually presents as a raised, smooth, pearly bump on the sun-exposed skin of the head, neck, or shoulders. Sometimes small blood vessels (called telangiectasia) can be seen within the tumor.
• Melanoma: Most melanomas consist of various colors, from brown to black. Some melanomas are pink, red, or fleshy; these are called amelanotic melanomas, which tend to be more aggressive. Warning signs of malignant melanoma include changes in a mole's size, shape, color, or elevation. Other signs are the appearance of a new mole during adulthood or pain, itching, ulceration, redness around the site, or bleeding at the site.

Skin Cancer Examination

While examining yourself for skin cancer can be scary, it is necessary, considering that a full 1 in 5 people can be expected to contract some form of skin cancer throughout their lifetime. Doctors recommend you check for skin cancer monthly to ensure you spot any problems early on. To check yourself for skin cancer, you need to have a few mirrors so that you can accurately see all parts of your body.

The entire body surface area needs to be checked for skin cancer, as it can appear anywhere. First, examine your head and your face, as well as your scalp, in the mirror. Gradually work your way down your body, ensuring that you're checking everywhere - commonly missed spots include underneath the breasts and parts of the back and buttocks. Also, be sure to check the genital areas as well as every part of the feet, including the webbing between the toes.

The main thing to look for when performing a self-examination for skin cancer is the appearance of irregular moles. Malformed moles can result in malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. If you're looking at your body and find that a mole is asymmetrical, with one side of the mole appearing different from the other, you may want to consult a doctor. Furthermore, most moles complete their growth before age twenty.

If a mole on your body begins growing past age twenty, you should also speak to a doctor.

Check for irregularities on the mole's borders; they should be well-defined and uniform in growth. Moreover, moles that change color to dark black, red, or even white represent a significant risk for a problem.

Skin Cancer Has a High Cure Rate if Caught Early

Prevention and self-examination are the key to early detection, along with a regular visit to your doctor for check-ups.

• The best method to avoid skin cancer is to avoid the sun, especially during the hottest part of the day from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Wear sunscreen if you are outdoors with an SPF of at least 15 or more, applied thirty minutes before going into the sun. Put sunscreen everywhere; the sun's rays will hit you. Don't forget your ears and men, and don't forget any bald areas on top of your head.
• If you have to be out in the sun, use a wide-brimmed hat or cap.
• Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun. Choose sunglasses that protect against both UVA and UVB rays. Sunglasses can help prevent cataracts as well.
• Wear long sleeve shirts and pants if it is not sweltering hot to protect your body better.
• Don't use tanning salons as they can damage your skin just like the sun.

Of course, there is the controversy that you need some sun in order NOT to be vitamin D deficient. Ask your doctor to prescribe a good vitamin D supplement. Your doctor can advise the proper dose to take. I know it is hard at times to avoid the sun completely. A few minutes of sun, occasionally with good sunscreen, should not be too harmful, as long as you watch the time of day and check your body regularly. Furthermore, too much sun can contribute to wrinkles.

Avoidance is best, but not always possible. Hence, just be meticulous and check, check, check your body regularly (monthly if possible) and go to your doctor immediately if you notice any irregularities.

Facts and Statistics

• An estimated 9,940 people will die of melanoma in 2015 (U.S.).
• Between 20% and 30% of melanomas develop from moles.
• One person dies of melanoma every hour (every 57 minutes).
• One in five Americans will develop skin cancer during a lifetime.
• Globally, in 2012, melanoma occurred in 232,000 people and resulted in 55,000 deaths.
• An estimated 73,870 new cases of invasive melanoma will be diagnosed in the US in 2015.
• Skin cancer is the most common cancer globally, accounting for at least 40% of cases.
• Greater than 90% of skin cancer cases are caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.
• Of non-melanoma skin cancers, about 80% are basal and 20% squamous cell cancers.
• Melanoma accounts for less than two percent of skin cancer cases but the vast majority of skin cancer deaths.
• Each year, there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of breast, prostate, lung, and colon cancers.
• Individuals who have used tanning beds ten or more times in their lives have a 34 percent higher risk of developing melanoma than those who have never used them.
• Just one indoor tanning session increases users' chances of developing melanoma by 20 percent, and each additional session during the same year boosts the risk by almost another two percent.

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