Skin cancer, better defined as abnormal cell development, is often caused by excessive sun exposure, although there are other factors to consider. There are three main types of malignancy, the name of which varies according to the skin layer involved: basalioma, melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Melanoma is the rarest, but also the most lethal, as it has a greater tendency to metastasize. By regularly checking your skin for abnormal changes, you are able to spot a tumor in the early stages and be more likely to treat yourself successfully.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Recognizing Skin Cancer
Step 1. Focus on the areas most exposed to the sun
Although skin cancers can develop all over the body, they are more likely to show up in areas most exposed to the sun. UV radiation from sunlight damages the DNA of skin cells and causes them to turn cancerous. For this reason, spend more time inspecting the parts of the body that remain uncovered, such as the scalp, face (especially the nose), ears, neck, upper chest, forearms and hands. Watch out for strange marks and imperfections, especially new formations (read more below).
- Of course, it's a good idea to avoid certain parts being constantly "kissed" by the sun, but some outdoor work can make things difficult. If you can't cover yourself all the time, apply a sunscreen with a very high SPF that blocks UV radiation.
- Women tend to be more susceptible to skin cancer on their legs and upper arms because they wear skirts, shorts, and sleeveless tops.
- Check your skin for strange spots when naked (for example, before taking a bath); in this way, you can observe a greater surface area of skin. If you have poor eyesight, help yourself with the magnifying glass.
Step 2. Assess your risk factors
Some people are more susceptible to skin cancer than others because they have higher risk factors. Among these are the main ones: light skin with freckles, red hair, overexposure to UV rays (of solar origin or those of tanning beds), past severe sun burns, presence of numerous nevi, past radiotherapy treatments, weak immune system, exposure to arsenic and familiarity for skin cancer. Some risks cannot be avoided (such as complexion), but others are simple behaviors that can be changed, such as using caution when in the sun.
- Skin of any color is susceptible to the disease, but skin of lighter shades contains less pigment (melanin) which protects against the damaging effects of UV radiation.
- Having sunburn with blisters in childhood and adolescence increases the chances of suffering from this type of cancer in adulthood.
- People who live in sunny areas or at high altitudes are more exposed to UV rays. While this situation is conducive to vitamin D production and lowers the risk of depression, it is potentially a risk factor for skin cancer.
- Moles (or moles) are not cancerous, but large ones with irregular shapes (called atypical nevi) can transform and become dangerous if they are massively irradiated with UV.
Step 3. Distinguish the various types of skin cancer
It is important to understand the differences between normal skin marks (such as freckles, nevi, warts and pimples) and malignant formations. For example, basalioma often presents with pearly or waxy lumps in the early stages and later with flat, flesh-colored or brown, scar-like lesions. Squamous cell carcinoma, by contrast, leads to the formation of firm, red nodules, which then become flat lesions with a scaly, crusted surface. Finally, melanomas are brownish spots with darker spots or small lesions with irregular edges and colored freckles (red, white or blue-black).
- Basaliomas almost always appear in sun-exposed areas, such as the neck or face.
- Squamous cells always occur on the skin that undergoes solar action, but they are more common among people with darker complexions.
- Melanoma develops everywhere, even on skin that is never discovered and has a tendency to form on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet and the pads of the fingers.
Step 4. Learn the ABCDE acronym for melanomas
This is a mnemonic technique that helps recognize potential melanomas on the skin. Specifically, it refers to the characteristics of the lesions: A = asymmetry, B = edges, C = color, D = diameter and E = evolution.
- Asymmetry: half of the nevus / imperfection is different from the other half.
- Edges: The lesion / mole is irregular with jagged or poorly defined edges.
- Color: the skin formation shows a surface with different colors, has shades of brown, black or is sometimes white, red or blue.
- Diameter: Melanomas are typically larger than 6mm when diagnosed, but they can be even slightly smaller in size.
- Evolution: the mole / imperfection is different from others or changes in color, size or shape.
- Make an appointment with your dermatologist immediately if you notice any moles or pigmented spots that have the characteristics described above.
Part 2 of 2: Undergo Professional Treatments
Step 1. Make an appointment with your family doctor or dermatologist
If you find an abnormal blemish or blemish on your skin, especially if you have never noticed it before or it has recently transformed, go to the doctor immediately. Your primary care physician is able to rule out most diseases that show symptoms similar to cancer (such as eczema, psoriasis, carbuncle, ingrown hairs and skin tags), but they are very likely to refer you to a specialist, the dermatologist. Remember that early detection of skin cancer increases the success rate of treatments.
- To better assess the pathology, the doctor will want to undergo a biopsy (tissue sampling) to look at the fragment under a microscope. The different types of skin biopsy are called "shave" and "cylindrical scalpel excision".
- Cancerous lesions, in addition to a dubious appearance, also become itchy, inflamed and painful to the touch; in some cases, especially with melanoma, the skin bleeds and forms a scab.
- In most cases, the disease progresses slowly; rapid development indicates a more severe and aggressive type of cancer.
Step 2. Ask your doctor for more information about non-surgical procedures
There are a number of quick treatments used against simple basaliomas or thin squamous cell skin cancers, which are nowhere near as serious or dangerous as melanomas. These treatments include radiotherapy, chemotherapy, biological and photodynamic therapy.
- Radiation therapy uses high-powered X-rays to kill cancer cells; it is generally used for basaliomas which cannot be easily removed and 15-30 sessions are usually required.
- Chemotherapy involves killing the cancer with cream or ointment drugs applied directly to the lesions. This treatment is only possible for superficial tumors and not for those that have penetrated deeply.
- Photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses the action of laser light and a drug absorbed by the skin. This combined action destroys diseased cells, because the medicine makes them more sensitive to high intensity light.
- Biological therapy (or immunotherapy) involves the immune system to get rid of the cancerous cells. Compounds (interferon, imiquimod) of synthetic origin or processed by the body are administered to activate the natural defenses against the tumor.
Step 3. Learn about cryotherapy
Skin cancer treatments vary greatly based on the size, type, depth and location of the lesions. Small, superficial growths are the easiest to remove, either with a shaving or freezing technique. Undergoing cryosurgery indicates that the tumor is small and not very dangerous. Doctors apply liquid nitrogen to the lesion, freezing and killing the cancer cells. eventually, the dead tissue peels off as it thaws over a few days.
- Cryosurgery is very effective for small basaliomas and squamous cell carcinomas, because these typically develop on the surface of the skin, while it is not often used for deep melanomas.
- This is the same procedure used for warts and skin tags, it is simple and not very painful.
Step 4. Ask your doctor for advice on surgical excision
This procedure involves the excision of diseased tissue and the surrounding margins of healthy skin. Sometimes, a good deal of normal tissue is removed all around the wound just for safety reasons, the resulting wound is therefore relatively large. This kind of procedure is applicable to any type of skin cancer, even for deep melanomas.
- The excision is performed by the dermatologist surgeon also on an outpatient basis and the area to be treated is desensitized with local anesthesia.
- The marginal portion of the removed tissue (the healthy one) is always examined under a microscope, to exclude the presence of malignant cells.
Step 5. Expect to be subjected to the Mohs technique in severe cases
During the procedure, the various layers of skin are removed from the lesion, examining them one by one until there is no trace of cancer cells left. It is a surgical procedure similar to excision, but it allows to eliminate the diseased cells without removing a lot of healthy skin, thus reducing the size of the wound and the duration of convalescence. The Mohs technique is suitable for large, recurrent and difficult to treat cancers.
- It is often applied to the nose, where as much skin as possible needs to be retained.
- This technique appears to offer the highest success rate for difficult-to-cure basaliomas.
Step 6. Discuss curettage or electro-desiccation with your doctor
The tumor is scraped off with a sharp spoon-like scalpel called a curette, then the remaining diseased cells are destroyed with an electrified needle (electro-desiccation). Electricity not only kills the cancerous cells, it cauterizes the wound which consequently does not bleed. The procedure is often repeated up to three times to get rid of any tumor tissue.
- Electro-drying is used on essentially all types of skin cancers, although it is most effective for small and superficial lesions.
- This technique tends to leave a moderate wound, smaller than the excision, but more extensive than that of the Mohs technique.
Advice
- The other less common malignant skin cancers are Kaposi's sarcoma (common among AIDS patients), Merkel cell carcinoma (often in the hair follicles) and sebaceous gland carcinoma (which develops in the glands skin that produce sebum).
- Roman numerals (I to IV) are used to indicate the stage of a cancer. Stage I is the least severe and the most localized, while stage IV indicates advanced cancer that has spread to other areas.
- Most basaliomas and squamous cell skin cancers are successfully treated with minor surgery.
- If skin cancer (melanoma) has spread to adjacent lymph nodes, the surgeon must remove them.
