Resumo de Types Of Skin Cancer

Types of skin cancer
There are three main types of skin cancer:
basal cell carcinomas, squalors cell carcinomas and malignant melanoma. The first two are slow-growing and easy to
treat, but malignant melanoma is a dangerous, fast-growing cancer that spreads
very quickly. A. The official UK
figures are 6,000 cases of melanoma a year and 62,000 cases of other skin
cancers. The incidence of melanoma is increasing, probably because of increased
exposure to sunlight but also due to better diagnosis. The figure of 62,000 other skin cancers is an
underestimate because these cancers are slow-growing and often remain
undiagnosed in elderly people. Roughly
three out of every four non-melanoma skin cancers are basal cell carcinomas and
the other quarter are squalors cell carcinomas.Q. What are the risk factors for
skin cancer? A. For all types of skin cancer, over-exposure to ultraviolet
light, from sunlight or sun beds, is the main risk. Research into malignant melanoma suggests
that over-exposure in childhood puts people at risk of getting melanomas later
in life. There are several other things
that increase the risk of skin cancer: having very fair skin that burns easily,
having lots of moles (over 50) on your body, having had skin cancer before,
your close relatives having skin cancer and being treated with anti-rejection
drugs (ie after an organ transplant).
Exposure to radiation or long-term exposure to chemicals such as coal tar,
soot, pitch, asphalt, creosote, paraffin wax or arsenic, can increase your risk
of non-melanoma skin cancer. A. The majority of melanomas occur on the head,
neck, arms and back ? the skin exposed most to sunlight. Most of them are very dark or black, but
they can sometimes be lighter brown or even speckled. The surface is usually raised and sometimes
rough. They are not normally circular in
shape, but some can be quite close to a circle. In their early stages, they often look like
a mole, but with a ragged outline or different shades of colour in it. Sometimes, they appear to be a mole that is
bleeding, oozing or crusty. However, the
most important thing is that melanomas usually change shape or colour as they
grow. Any spot that changes colour or shape should be reported to your doctor.The
vast majority of basal cell carcinomas occur on the face. They start as a small, pink, pearly or waxy
spot, often circular or oval in shape.
As they grow, they become a raised, flat spot with a ?rolled? edge and
they may develop a crust. Next, they
begin to bleed from the centre and an ulcer develops. This is called a rodent ulcer and, if left
long enough, it can become quite large and eat away the skin and tissue below.
A. Squalors cell carcinomas are most common on the limbs, head and neck. They are pink and irregular in shape, usually
with a hard, scaly or horny surface, although they can sometimes become an
ulcer. The edges are sometimes
raised. They can be tender to the touch.
Malignant melanoma can be one of the most dangerous types of cancer. They all spread into nearby tissues, but some
grow faster and spread further than others.
If diagnosed late, treatment is not usually able to cure the cancer.
Squalors cell carcinomas also spread, but most of them spread so slowly that
they are not very dangerous. Even the ones
that spread more rapidly can be effectively treated as long as they are
diagnosed reasonably early. Basal cell carcinomas almost never spread, apart
from the slow growth of the rodent ulcer itself. Even in advanced cases, treatment is almost
always successful.There are some rare, inherited skin diseases that make people
highly sensitive to sunlight and much more likely to get any type of skin
cancer. People inherit their normal skin
type and skin cancer is more common in paler, freckly skin. In addition, there is good evidence that, if
you have a close relative (brother, sister parent or child) withskin cancer,
you have about twice the normal risk of getting that type of skin cancer.

Resumos Relacionados