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Information on Skin Cancer with Treatment

By : Peter hutch    Five stars rating
Submitted 2008-11-17 05:03:06
Skin cancer is the most common form of human cancer. It is estimated that over 1 million new cases occur annually. The annual rates of all forms of skin cancer are increasing each year, representing a growing public concern. It has also been estimated that nearly half of all Americans who live to age 65 will develop skin cancer at least once.

Cancer that forms in tissues of the skin. There are several types of skin cancer. Skin cancer that forms in melanocytes (skin cells that make pigment) is called melanoma. Skin cancer that forms in basal cells (small, round cells in the base of the outer layer of skin) is called basal cell carcinoma. Skin cancer that forms in neuroendocrine cells (cells that release hormones in response to signals from the nervous system) is called neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin.

Basal cells are round in shape and are found in the lower portion of the outer layer of skin also known as epidermis. One out of every three new cancers is a skin cancer, and the vast majority are basal cell carcinomas, often referred to by the abbreviation, BCC.Until recently, those most often affected were older people, particularly men who had worked outdoors. Although the number of new cases has increased sharply each year in the last few decades, the average age of onset of the disease has steadily decreased.

Cancer that begins in squamous cells -- thin, flat cells that look under the microscope like fish scales. Squamous cells are found in the tissue that forms the surface of the skin, the lining of hollow organs of the body, and the passages of the respiratory and digestive tracts. Squamous cell carcinomas may arise in any of these tissues.

The numbers of skin cancers vary from country to country. In tropical countries with large white populations, the numbers are proportional to the amount of sunlight. Most skin cancers can be treated by removal of the lesion, making sure that the edges (margins) are free of tumor cells. The excisions provide the best cure for both early and high-risk disease. Squamous cell carcinoma is a skin cancer also related to sunlight exposure. It starts as a small, firm, painless lump occurring most often on the lip, ear or back of the hand. It enlarges fairly rapidly and then will often break down in the centre to form a crater.

Like many cancers, skin cancers start as precancerous lesions. These precancerous lesions are changes in skin that are not cancer but could become cancer over time. Medical professionals often refer to these changes as dysplasia.

Treatment

Surgery: Surgery for skin cancer involves cutting the skin area which is affected. Surgery can be most effective if the affected area is cut from the skin in the early stage of skin cancer.

Cryosurgery: In this type of treatment, the affected area is cooled to a very low temperature. The affected tissues/cells are frozen and killed with the help of liquid nitrogen. Depending upon the complexity and the affected area, this treatment can be repeated number of times.

Laser Therapy: A high intensity narrow beam of laser is used to destroy the cells in the affected area. This therapy is used in most of the cases where the cancer has not reached deeper inside the skin.
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