Skin cancer usually starts with a change on the skin:
There are several types of skin cancer. The most common types are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. A third form of skin cancer is Melanoma.
Basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas occur on body parts that often in the Sun are: the head, the face, neck and arms.
The main cause of skin cancer is much ultraviolet radiation. This radiation found in sunlight and radiation from tanning beds.
Your doctor looks at the severity of the skin change. Possibly it refers you to a specialist. This can be a skin doctor or a (plastic) surgeon. Suspect the specialist that you have skin cancer? They then receive a piece of the diseased skin (biopsy). She thinks that you have a melanoma, they then receive the tumor (tumor) immediately bowled over. A pathologist examines the growth in the laboratory.
The most commonly used treatment of skin cancer is surgery. In addition, the surgeon tightens the tumor away. Other treatments are freezing, radiation and treatment with special light (Photodynamic therapy).
There are several types of skin cancer:
Basal Cell Carcinoma
The most common type of skin cancer is basal cell carcinoma. Seventy percent of people with skin cancer has this form. The basal cell carcinoma grows very slowly and almost never sow from. It is the least malignant form of skin cancer. However, it is important to treat this tumor thoroughly. He can grow to the tissues under the skin. If that happens the chance of cure is smaller.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
A second form of skin cancer is squamous cell carcinoma. This form is growing faster than the basal cell carcinoma and sow at a later stage, however. It is therefore more than basal cell carcinoma. If treatment starts on time, then the Outlook is good. Twenty percent of people with skin cancer has this form.
Melanoma
The Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that are less common. A melanoma arises from pigment cells in the skin. Usually sat there on that place already a birthmark. Sometimes, however, a melanoma in a completely intact skin. A Melanoma is growing fast and may already be in a fairly early stage spread. At an early treatment, the chance of healing great. Once there are metastases, then the Outlook is worse.
Causes of skin cancer:
Skin cancer usually arises by too much ultraviolet radiation on the skin. This radiation is in sunlight and radiation from tanning beds.
Almost everyone has an automatic protection from ultraviolet radiation. The skin makes in the sunlight more pigment and becomes thicker. This automatic protection won't work at all. Some people have more pigment (dark skin) than other (light skin). People with fair skin get earlier problems by ultraviolet radiation than people with dark skin.
By many ultraviolet radiation damage the cells of the skin. As a result, you can eventually get skin cancer.
From some skin disorders can cause skin cancer. For example, you have a large number of moles that in size and color differences? Then the chance of skin cancer growing.
Also if you at a young age for a skin abnormality was irradiated, you have more chance of skin cancer on and around the irradiated spot.
After an organ transplant is the risk of skin cancer also larger than normal. This is due to the medications that people because of the transplant have to swallow.
Like other forms of cancer is skin cancer is not contagious.
The symptoms of skin cancer depend on the kind of skin cancer.
Basal Cell Carcinoma
The basal cell carcinoma occurs mainly in the face. Usually, a smooth, glassy nodule that grows very slowly. Sometimes sitting in the nodule dilated blood vessels. In the long term, arises at the breast lump a sore. Around it is a border with a Pearl-like luster. The ulcer is sometimes wet. It also has a crust that is easy to open. Sometimes the crust there. Next comes a new crust. A basal cell carcinoma on the trunk, arms, or legs often looks like an eczema spot.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
The squamous cell carcinoma occurs mainly in the face and on the back of the hand. It looks like a pink-red lump. Sometimes a Flake crust on. Does this crust off, then there remains a superficial ulcer behind. This sore will not heal.
The Pearl-like sheen and the dilated blood vessels of the basal cell carcinoma are missing. Especially because of this, the doctor can see the difference between a basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma.
Melanoma
The Melanoma arises in women especially on the trunk and the legs. In men occurs mainly on the trunk, on the head and in the neck.
The first phenomenon of a Melanoma is often a change in a mole. The birthmark can be, for instance, and change color. The birthmark may itch and bleed at a later stage. Also will there be a sore on with a crust.
The most commonly used treatments of skin cancer are:
Surgery
In an operation the surgeon tightens the tumor completely gone. This can be done in two ways: the excision and the Mohs technique. At a excision will give you a local anesthetic. The surgeon then cuts the tumor away. In doing so, she gets a little more away than the visible tumor. This is done to ensure that the entire tumor is gone. At the Mohs technique extracts the surgeon the tumor tight way. A laboratory technician examines the tissue directly in the laboratory. If it turns out that the tumor not yet completely gone, cuts the doctor an extra piece of skin off. The laboratory technician are watching also this bit. That way the wound remains as small as possible. The surgeon uses this method especially at basal cell carcinomas in the face.
Freezing
The doctor may also with liquid nitrogen freezing the tumor. You will receive a local anesthetic. The doctor retrieves the tumor away with a sharp spoon. They then freezes the leftover tissue around the tumor with nitrogen. Thereby the tissue dies. Cancer cells endure extreme cold worse than healthy cells. Often gives the doctor this treatment twice after each other.
The doctor used this treatment at (malignant) small and superficial skin growths.
Photodynamic therapy
The Photodynamic therapy is sometimes suitable for superficial growing growths. It is a treatment with special light. The doctor will first a cream on your skin. This cream contains a light-sensitive substance. It takes three to four hours before the cream in the tumor has penetrated. The doctor then irradiate the tumor twenty minutes long with red, green or blue light. The chemical reaction that creates, by the light-sensitive substance damages the cancer cells.
- a nodule that is growing slowly;
- a wound that does not heal;
- a mole that changes color or is growing.
There are several types of skin cancer. The most common types are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. A third form of skin cancer is Melanoma.
Basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas occur on body parts that often in the Sun are: the head, the face, neck and arms.
The main cause of skin cancer is much ultraviolet radiation. This radiation found in sunlight and radiation from tanning beds.
Your doctor looks at the severity of the skin change. Possibly it refers you to a specialist. This can be a skin doctor or a (plastic) surgeon. Suspect the specialist that you have skin cancer? They then receive a piece of the diseased skin (biopsy). She thinks that you have a melanoma, they then receive the tumor (tumor) immediately bowled over. A pathologist examines the growth in the laboratory.
The most commonly used treatment of skin cancer is surgery. In addition, the surgeon tightens the tumor away. Other treatments are freezing, radiation and treatment with special light (Photodynamic therapy).
Different types of skin cancer
There are several types of skin cancer:
Basal Cell Carcinoma
The most common type of skin cancer is basal cell carcinoma. Seventy percent of people with skin cancer has this form. The basal cell carcinoma grows very slowly and almost never sow from. It is the least malignant form of skin cancer. However, it is important to treat this tumor thoroughly. He can grow to the tissues under the skin. If that happens the chance of cure is smaller.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
A second form of skin cancer is squamous cell carcinoma. This form is growing faster than the basal cell carcinoma and sow at a later stage, however. It is therefore more than basal cell carcinoma. If treatment starts on time, then the Outlook is good. Twenty percent of people with skin cancer has this form.
Melanoma
The Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that are less common. A melanoma arises from pigment cells in the skin. Usually sat there on that place already a birthmark. Sometimes, however, a melanoma in a completely intact skin. A Melanoma is growing fast and may already be in a fairly early stage spread. At an early treatment, the chance of healing great. Once there are metastases, then the Outlook is worse.
How do you get skin cancer?
Causes of skin cancer:
Skin cancer usually arises by too much ultraviolet radiation on the skin. This radiation is in sunlight and radiation from tanning beds.
Almost everyone has an automatic protection from ultraviolet radiation. The skin makes in the sunlight more pigment and becomes thicker. This automatic protection won't work at all. Some people have more pigment (dark skin) than other (light skin). People with fair skin get earlier problems by ultraviolet radiation than people with dark skin.
By many ultraviolet radiation damage the cells of the skin. As a result, you can eventually get skin cancer.
From some skin disorders can cause skin cancer. For example, you have a large number of moles that in size and color differences? Then the chance of skin cancer growing.
Also if you at a young age for a skin abnormality was irradiated, you have more chance of skin cancer on and around the irradiated spot.
After an organ transplant is the risk of skin cancer also larger than normal. This is due to the medications that people because of the transplant have to swallow.
Like other forms of cancer is skin cancer is not contagious.
What are the signs and symptoms of skin cancer?
The symptoms of skin cancer depend on the kind of skin cancer.
Basal Cell Carcinoma
The basal cell carcinoma occurs mainly in the face. Usually, a smooth, glassy nodule that grows very slowly. Sometimes sitting in the nodule dilated blood vessels. In the long term, arises at the breast lump a sore. Around it is a border with a Pearl-like luster. The ulcer is sometimes wet. It also has a crust that is easy to open. Sometimes the crust there. Next comes a new crust. A basal cell carcinoma on the trunk, arms, or legs often looks like an eczema spot.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
The squamous cell carcinoma occurs mainly in the face and on the back of the hand. It looks like a pink-red lump. Sometimes a Flake crust on. Does this crust off, then there remains a superficial ulcer behind. This sore will not heal.
The Pearl-like sheen and the dilated blood vessels of the basal cell carcinoma are missing. Especially because of this, the doctor can see the difference between a basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma.
Melanoma
The Melanoma arises in women especially on the trunk and the legs. In men occurs mainly on the trunk, on the head and in the neck.
The first phenomenon of a Melanoma is often a change in a mole. The birthmark can be, for instance, and change color. The birthmark may itch and bleed at a later stage. Also will there be a sore on with a crust.
What is the treatment for skin cancer?
The most commonly used treatments of skin cancer are:
- Surgery.
- Freezing.
- Radiation therapy.
- Photodynamic therapy.
Surgery
In an operation the surgeon tightens the tumor completely gone. This can be done in two ways: the excision and the Mohs technique. At a excision will give you a local anesthetic. The surgeon then cuts the tumor away. In doing so, she gets a little more away than the visible tumor. This is done to ensure that the entire tumor is gone. At the Mohs technique extracts the surgeon the tumor tight way. A laboratory technician examines the tissue directly in the laboratory. If it turns out that the tumor not yet completely gone, cuts the doctor an extra piece of skin off. The laboratory technician are watching also this bit. That way the wound remains as small as possible. The surgeon uses this method especially at basal cell carcinomas in the face.
Freezing
The doctor may also with liquid nitrogen freezing the tumor. You will receive a local anesthetic. The doctor retrieves the tumor away with a sharp spoon. They then freezes the leftover tissue around the tumor with nitrogen. Thereby the tissue dies. Cancer cells endure extreme cold worse than healthy cells. Often gives the doctor this treatment twice after each other.
The doctor used this treatment at (malignant) small and superficial skin growths.
Photodynamic therapy
The Photodynamic therapy is sometimes suitable for superficial growing growths. It is a treatment with special light. The doctor will first a cream on your skin. This cream contains a light-sensitive substance. It takes three to four hours before the cream in the tumor has penetrated. The doctor then irradiate the tumor twenty minutes long with red, green or blue light. The chemical reaction that creates, by the light-sensitive substance damages the cancer cells.