Skin Cancer disease

Skin Cancer disease

History: Skin cancer was first discovered or identified by René-Théophile-Hyacinthe Laennec. This French physician was born on February 17th, 1781 in Quimper. He is widely known as the inventor of modern stethoscope. He was the one who gave the name melanoma when he was researching on melanoma, which he discovered in human lungs.

Incidence, Frecuency: Looking at data for regions around the globe, the countries with the greatest per-capita skin cancer burdens–attributable to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation–include the United States, Canada and Cuba, as well as portions of the Pacific and, more surprisingly, Northern Europe. To find out which countries had some of the biggest health problems due to the sun’s UV radiation, we used a 2006 World Health Organization report that showed or estimated the extent of cutaneous malignant melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma (the three main types of skin cancer) in 14 different regions of the world, as defined by the WHO. s ozone levels are depleted, the atmosphere loses more and more of its protective filter function and more solar UV radiation reaches the Earth's surface. It is estimated that a 10 per cent decrease in ozone levels will result in an additional 300,000 non-melanoma and 4,500 melanoma skin cancer cases.

Study in the UK.

Signs and Symtomps: Look for changes over time, such as a mole that grows in size or that changes color or shape. ABCDE guide (assimetry, border irregular, color, diameter, evolving.

 Basal Cell Carcinoma: BCCs are abnormal, uncontrolled growths or lesions that arise in the skin’s basal cells, which line the deepest layer of the epidermis (the outermost layer of the skin). BCCs often look like open sores, red patches, pink growths and are usually caused by a combination of cumulative and intense, occasional sun exposure. BCC almost never spreads (metastasizes) beyond the original tumor site. In 2010, an estimated 2.8 million cases of BCC were diagnosed in the US, and the figures have continued to climb. In fact, BCC is the most frequently occurring form of all cancers. More than one out of every three new cancers is a skin cancer, and the vast majority are BCCs.

 Melanoma: The most dangerous form of skin cancer, these cancerous growths develop when unrepaired DNA damage to skin cells (most often caused by ultraviolet radiation from sunshine or tanning beds) triggers mutations (genetic defects) that lead the skin cells to multiply rapidly and form malignant tumors. These tumors originate in the pigment-producing melanocytes in the basal layer of the epidermis. Melanomas often resemble moles; some develop from moles. If melanoma is recognized and treated early, it is almost always curable, but if it is not, the cancer can advance and spread to other parts of the body, where it becomes hard to treat and can be fatal. While it is not the most common of the skin cancers, it causes the most deaths.

 Squamous cell carninoma: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells arising in the squamous cells, which compose most of the skin’s upper layers (the epidermis). SCCs often look like scaly red patches, open sores, elevated growths with a central depression, or warts; they may crust or bleed. They can become disfiguring and sometimes deadly if allowed to grow. An estimated 700,000 cases of SCC are diagnosed each year in the US, and between 3,900 and 8,800 people died from the disease in the US in 2012. Incidence of the disease has increased up to 200 percent in the past three decades in the US.

Diagnosis: To diagnose skin cancer, a dermatologist looks at the skin. A dermatologist will carefully examine growths, moles, and dry patches.

To get a better look, a dermatologist may use a device called a dermoscope. The device shines light on the skin. It magnifies the skin. This helps the dermatologist to see pigment and structures in the skin.

If a dermatologist finds something that looks like skin cancer, the dermatologist will remove it (or part of it). The removed skin will be sent to a lab. Your dermatologist may call this a biopsy. Skin cancer cannot be diagnosed without a biopsy.

A biopsy is quick, safe, and easy for a dermatologist

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