Symptoms And Treatment Of Skin Cancer

The other cause is the degree of pigmentation of the skin. Individuals with the highest risk are people who live in sunny places and people who have fair skin. The areas of the body that are the most exposed to sunlight are the areas of the face and head. Here, cancer is more likely to develop. (Bair, 1991, P. 368).

Although there are several types of skin cancer, the most aggressive form is melanoma. This cancer of the skin involves mass replication of the pigment producing melanocyte cells, which are located in the epidermis, below the basal layer. There are several factors involved with the onset of melanoma including, exposure to ultraviolet rays, genetic predisposition, numerous nevi (moles), immunosuppression, and environmental exposure to carcinogens.

Discuss the different types of skin cancer, risk factors, diagnosis, treatment options and preventative measures.

Skin cancer is a very real and common health problem for Australians, with 2 in 3 developing this deadly disease by the age of 70 (Lynch, 2006). “Due to the Australian climate and lifestyle, as well as a predominantly fair skinned population, skin cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer in Australia,” (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2000). For the most effective prevention against skin cancer, it is recommended that a combination of sun safety measures are met; slip, slop, slap, seek, slide (Slip on sun protective clothing, slop on water resistant SPF30+ sunscreen, slap on a hat, seek shade, slide on sunglasses), (Preventing Skin Cancer, 2017). By simply reducing recreational sun exposure, the risk of developing melanoma –

Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are the most common non- melanoma skin cancers. Other non- melanoma skin cancers are Kaposi's sarcoma and Merkel cell carcinoma. Kaposi's sarcoma is a cancerous tumor of the connective tissue, and it is often associated with AIDS. Merkel cell carcinoma arises from the uncontrolled growth of Merkel cells in the skin. Merkel cells are found in the skin, where their main function is to be touch receptors. It is a rare skin cancer with roughly fifteen hundred cases per year in the United States.

One of the leading causes of death in the United States is cancer. Staggering cases have been reported yearly. There have been over 3.3 million diagnoses of Non Melanoma skin cancer. Currently, it is estimated that one out of every five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. People in the U.S. are diagnosed with skin cancer every day. The number of cases of skin cancer has increased steadily since the 1920s. Common types of skin cancer include: Basal cell carcinoma, Squamous cell carcinoma, and Malignant Melanoma. It’s imperative to stay educated about our health and take preventive measures to decrease the chances of developing skin cancer.

Melanoma, the last major type of skin cancer, is the most deadly. As a highly metastatic form of cancer, melanoma can quickly spread to different parts of the body if undetected and allowed to grow. These type of tumors grow in the melanocytes in the basal layer of the epidermis and can grow on both sun-exposed and unexposed areas of the skin. It is crucial to find and diagnose melanoma early - if detected it can be treated and cured, but if gone undetected, it is incredibly

“Skin cancers are the most prevalent form of cancer in the Unites States An estimated 11,790 people die of skin cancer each year, 8700 from malignant melanoma” (Huether, McCance, 2012, p. 1058). Since melanoma is the most prevalent form of cancer, it is important to understand what causes it, what it does, who is at a higher risk, and possible treatment routes.

Skin cancer is the most common malignancy in the United States, where approximately 3.5 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer and 75000 cases of melanoma are diagnosed each year. (American Journal of Public Health) There is around 9000 deaths for each year from indoor and outdoor UV beams (American Journal of Public Health). Melanoma skin malignancy creates from the melanocytes and non-melanomas skin growth creates from the basal and squamous cells. To viably treat melanoma there is billions of dollars spent every year. The main source of skin tumor is tanning inside and outside.

Cutaneous melanoma (hereafter referred as melanoma) is a worldwide public health concern. In developed countries melanoma ranks as the sixth most frequently diagnosed cancer overall [1]. In the United States, melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in men and seventh most common cancer in women [2]. The incidence of melanoma, the most commonly fatal form of skin cancer, is increasing faster than any other potentially preventable cancer in the United States [3-4]. World wide epidemiological data shows similar increases over the past years, with a leveling off in other countries [5]. Some researchers attribute the increase in the incidence of melanoma to a more scrutinized detection program [6-7].

C. Melanoma Skin Cancer is the most dangerous form of skin cancer, it kills one person per hour, these cancerous growths are most often caused by ultraviolet radiation from sunshine or tanning beds. These tumors originate in the pigment-producing melanocytes in the basal layer of the epidermis. Melanoma is caused mainly by intense, occasional UV exposure (frequently leading to sunburn), especially in those who are genetically predisposed to the disease. Often the first sign of melanoma is a change in the size, shape, color or feel of a mole.

Skin cancers are one of the most common types of cancers, and this is because of our exposure to the sun. The sun emits UV (ultraviolet rays) that is harmful to our health. Continuous and excess exposure to the sun and other UV sources puts you at risk of skin cancer like Basal and Squama cell skin cancer, Melanoma skin cancer, Merkel cell carcinoma, Lymphoma of the skin, and Kapsin Sarcoma.

In the United States skin cancer is the most common type of cancer. The people whom are most likely to develop skin cancer are those; who have lighter skin color, eyes and hair as well as people whom spend a great amount of time in the sun or have been sunburned. There are more chances one will obtain skin cancer if there is a family member who has been previously diagnosed with it. Men typically have this cancer more often than women. There are a few different strains of skin cancer, the most common types being basal and squamous cell skin cancer. While the most serious type of skin cancer is melanoma. Although melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer it is also the least common and is curable if detected and treated early.

Skin cancer is a type of tumor that is characterized by the cancerous growth of melanocytes, which are cells that produce a dark pigment called melanin. Skin cancer affects both men and women. Skin cancer is more often through ages 30-70, but is more common if you spend a lot of time in the sun in your childhood. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the US and continues to grow. The most dangerous type of skin cancer is malignant melanoma. Melanoma is the least common but most aggressive. There are about 800,000 causes of basal cell cancers alone are diagnosed with the United States.

The incidence rates of skin cancers are increasing worldwide. (Fabbrocini et al., 2010). Among these, melanoma is the most serious and dangerous form of skin cancer. (Callister et al., 2011). It develops from skin cells found in the deeper layers of skin called melanocytes. These produce melanin which protects the skin by absorbing harmful ultraviolet radiation. (Anderson et al., 2009). Sun exposure gives off ultraviolet radiation (UV) which increases the risk of developing melanomas. (Callister et al., 2011). New Zealand has the highest overall melanoma incidence rate in the world. (Callister et al., 2011). Many different factors contribute to New Zealand’s high incidence of this cancer. Salmon et al. (2007) suggest that this could be due to environmental and geographical factors such as relatively high levels of UV radiation made worse by ozone depletion. It is important to understand the factors related to the high incidence rate of skin cancer in New Zealand because a greater understanding can lead to better prevention of skin cancers in the future.