What is skin cancer?
Skin cancer is a common, usually low-grade cancerous (malignant) growth of the skin. It starts from cells that begin as normal skin cells and transform into those with the potential to reproduce in an out-of-control manner. Unlike other cancers, the vast majority of skin cancers have no potential to spread to other parts of the body (metastasize) and threaten your life.
There are two major types of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma (the most common) and squamous cell carcinoma (the second most common). Melanoma is also a form of skin cancer but is far less common, though more dangerous, than the other two varieties.
What are the risk factors for skin cancer?
The most common risk factors for skin cancer are as follows.
What causes skin cancer?
The exact cause of skin cancer is not known. It appears that basal cell cancers arise from basaloid cells in the upper layer of the skin. Uncontrolled growth of these cells is regulated by other factors in the skin. When that regulation is lost, skin cancer cells begin to grow into tumors.
In squamous cell cancers, the tumors arise from a normal cell in the top layer of the skin, the epidermis. As with basal cell cancers, these cells are prevented from growing wildly by genetically controlled factors. When there is an alteration in the genes that regulate these cells, the control is lost and skin cancers start to grow. In many instances, the genes are altered by sunlight exposure.
What are the different types of skin cancer?
There are several different types of skin cancers:
What are the signs and symptoms of skin cancer?
Most basal cell carcinomas have few if any symptoms. Squamous cell carcinomas may be painful. Both types of skin cancer may appear as a sore that will not heal. There is often a slowly growing bump on the skin that may bleed after minor trauma. Basal cell carcinomas may have a pearly color while squamous cell carcinomas may have a thick scale on the surface. Both may have raised edges and a central ulceration.
When is a mole dangerous or high-risk for becoming a skin cancer?
Moles are almost always harmless and only very rarely turn into skin cancer. If a mole becomes cancerous, it would be a melanoma. There is a precancerous stage, called a dysplastic nevus, that is somewhat more irregular than a normal mole. Moles never become squamous cell carcinomas or basal cell carcinomas.
What are the most common sites where skin cancer develops?
Skin cancers typically arise in areas of the skin exposed to the sun repeatedly over many years such as the face, ears, back of the neck, and the bald area of the scalp. Less commonly, these tumors may appear at sites with only limited sun exposure such as the back, chest, or the extremities. However, skin cancer may occur anywhere on the skin.
How is skin cancer diagnosed?
A skin examination by a dermatologist is the way to get a definitive diagnosis of skin cancer. In many cases, the appearance alone is sufficient to make the diagnosis.
A skin biopsy is usually used to confirm a suspicion of skin cancer. This is performed by numbing the area under the tumor with a local anesthetic such as lidocaine. A small portion of the tumor is sliced away and sent for examination by a pathologist, who examines the tissue under a microscope and renders a diagnosis based on the characteristics of the tumor.
What is the staging for skin cancer?
There is no specific staging system for basal cell carcinoma. If the tumor is wider than 2 cm (about ¾ inch diameter), it is probably a more serious tumor. Basal cell carcinomas of the ears, nose, and eyelid may also be of more concern, regardless of the size.
There is a staging system for squamous cell carcinoma. Tumors that are thicker than 2 mm, invade the nerve structures of the skin, occur on the ear, and have certain worrisome characteristics under the microscope are of more concern. If the tumor metastasizes away from the primary tumor, the cancer is upgraded to a very dangerous tumor.
What is the treatment for skin cancer?
There are several effective means of treating skin cancer. The choice of therapy depends on the location and size of the tumor, the microscopic characteristics of the cancer, and the general health of the patient.
What causes skin cancer?
The exact cause of skin cancer is not known. It appears that basal cell cancers arise from basaloid cells in the upper layer of the skin. Uncontrolled growth of these cells is regulated by other factors in the skin. When that regulation is lost, skin cancer cells begin to grow into tumors.
In squamous cell cancers, the tumors arise from a normal cell in the top layer of the skin, the epidermis. As with basal cell cancers, these cells are prevented from growing wildly by genetically controlled factors. When there is an alteration in the genes that regulate these cells, the control is lost and skin cancers start to grow. In many instances, the genes are altered by sunlight exposure.
What are the different types of skin cancer?
There are several different types of skin cancers:
What are the signs and symptoms of skin cancer?
Most basal cell carcinomas have few if any symptoms. Squamous cell carcinomas may be painful. Both types of skin cancer may appear as a sore that will not heal. There is often a slowly growing bump on the skin that may bleed after minor trauma. Basal cell carcinomas may have a pearly color while squamous cell carcinomas may have a thick scale on the surface. Both may have raised edges and a central ulceration.
When is a mole dangerous or high-risk for becoming a skin cancer?
Moles are almost always harmless and only very rarely turn into skin cancer. If a mole becomes cancerous, it would be a melanoma. There is a precancerous stage, called a dysplastic nevus, that is somewhat more irregular than a normal mole. Moles never become squamous cell carcinomas or basal cell carcinomas.
What are the most common sites where skin cancer develops?
Skin cancers typically arise in areas of the skin exposed to the sun repeatedly over many years such as the face, ears, back of the neck, and the bald area of the scalp. Less commonly, these tumors may appear at sites with only limited sun exposure such as the back, chest, or the extremities. However, skin cancer may occur anywhere on the skin.
How is skin cancer diagnosed?
A skin examination by a dermatologist is the way to get a definitive diagnosis of skin cancer. In many cases, the appearance alone is sufficient to make the diagnosis.
A skin biopsy is usually used to confirm a suspicion of skin cancer. This is performed by numbing the area under the tumor with a local anesthetic such as lidocaine. A small portion of the tumor is sliced away and sent for examination by a pathologist, who examines the tissue under a microscope and renders a diagnosis based on the characteristics of the tumor.
What is the staging for skin cancer?
There is no specific staging system for basal cell carcinoma. If the tumor is wider than 2 cm (about ¾ inch diameter), it is probably a more serious tumor. Basal cell carcinomas of the ears, nose, and eyelid may also be of more concern, regardless of the size.
There is a staging system for squamous cell carcinoma. Tumors that are thicker than 2 mm, invade the nerve structures of the skin, occur on the ear, and have certain worrisome characteristics under the microscope are of more concern. If the tumor metastasizes away from the primary tumor, the cancer is upgraded to a very dangerous tumor.
What is the treatment for skin cancer?
There are several effective means of treating skin cancer. The choice of therapy depends on the location and size of the tumor, the microscopic characteristics of the cancer, and the general health of the patient.
Source: http://www.rxlist.com
Source: http://www.rxlist.com
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