Skin Cancer : Type, Sign, Cause,Treatment, And Prevention

Skin cancers are cancers that arise from the skin.Skin cancers are due to the development of abnormal cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body.

There are two types of skin cancer  namely non melanoma skin cancer  (NMSC) and melanoma skin cancer.

I. Non Melanoma Skin Cancer (NMSC)

• Basal-cell cancer (BCC)

Basal-skin cancer looks like a small, slow growing, shiny, pink (red lump), and red scaly patches.If left basal-skin cancer tends to become crusty, bleed, or develop into an ulcer.It is most common on the face, scalp, ears, hands, shoulders, and back.

Basal-cell cancer is divided into four different types :

• Nodular Basal Cell Cancer

Nodular basal-cell cancer looks through translucent and the blood vessels.Sometimes it has sore ( ulcerated ) area in the center.

• Pigmented Basal Cell Cancer

Pigmented basal cell cancer has dark areas and can look like warts or sometimes melanoma.

• Morphoeic Basal Cell Cancer

Morphoeic basal cancer looks like a sore area on the skin that does not heal.This type may also look like a scar or a thickened area of skin that very slowly gets bigger.It is important to see doctor if having an area like this for more than three week.

• Squamous-cell cancer (SCC)

Squamous cell cancer appears as a firm pink lump and may have a flat, scaly, and crusted surface or thickened patch on sun-exposed skin.The lump is tender to touch and bleeds easily.It may develop into an ulcer and into a large mass or becomes dangerous if it is not treated.

A persistent, scaly red patch with irregular borders that sometimes crusts or bleeds.

An elevated growth with a central depression that occassionally bleeds.A growth of this type may rapidly increase in size.

An open sore that bleeds and crusts and persists for week.

A wart-like growth that crusts and bleeds.

Skin area exposed to sunlight looks like the scalp

II. Melanoma

• Melanona is the most agressive cancer.Most melanomas consist of various colours from shade of brown to black.Amelanotic melanomas is a small amount of  melanomas that are pink, red or fleshy in colour and tend to be agressive.

The pictures of Mole

Signs of melanoma

• A mole that has changed in size, shape and color.
• A sore does not heal.
• Having more than one color.
• Spread of pigment from the border of a spot into surrounding skin.
• Changing in sensation-itcheness, tenderness or pain.
• Changing in the surface of a mole-scaliness, oozing, bleeding, or the appearance of a bump or nodule.
• Ulceration.
• Redness or a new swelling beyond the border.
• The appearance of a new mole during adulthood or pain. 
• Unusual lumps, blemishes, marking or changes in the skin area.

A normal mole is usually an evenly colored brown, tan, or black spot on the skin.It can be flat, raised, round, and oval.Once a mole has developed, it will usually stay the same size, shape, and color for many years. Some moles may eventually fade away.Moles are generally less than 6 millimeters (1/4 inch) across (the width of a pencil eraser).Some moles can be present at birth, but most appear during childhood or young adulthood.

The ABCDE rule is guide to usual signs of melanoma

• A is for Asymmetry : One half of a mole or birthmark does not match the other.

• B is for Border : The edges are irregular, ragged, notched or blurred.

• C is for Color : The color is not the same all over and may include shades of brown or black or sometimes with patches of pink, red, white, or blue. 

• D is for Diameter : The spot is larger than 6 millimeters across (1/4 inch - the width of pencil eraser).Although melanomas can sometimes be smaller than this.

• E is for Evolving : The mole is changing in size, shape, and color.

Causes of skin cancer

• Ultraviolet radiation from sun exposure.
• The use of many immunosuppressive medications (Cyclosporin A, a Calcineurin inhibitor,  and Azathioprine).
• Smoking tobacco.
• HPV infections.
• Some genetic syndromes including congenital melanocytic nevi syndrome.
• Ionizing radiation, environmental carcinogens, artificial UV radiation (tanning beds), aging, and light skin color.
• Chronic non-healing wounds or Marjolin's ulcers.

Prevention

• The use of sunscreen to provide board protection from UVA dan UVB ranges.
• Decreasing indoor tanning and mid day sun exposure.
• Avoiding sunburning by wearing protective  clothing, sunglasses, and hats.
• Avoiding the use of tobacco products.

Treatment

Seeing a Dermatoligist by doing regular skin checks, you can spot possible skin cancer early enough for it to be treated.

Basal-cell cancers use Mohs' micrographic surgery that is  a technique used to remove the cancer with the least amount of surrounding tissue and the edges are checked immediately to see if tumor is found.An Alternative method is used CCPDMA and can performed by a pathologist.

Surgical procedures or Chemotherapy may be required if the disease has spread (metatasized).

Treatments for metastatic melanoma include biologic immunotherapy agents ipilimumab, pembrolizumab, and nivolumab ; BRAF inhibitors, such as vemurafenib and dabrafenib; and a MEK inhibitor trametinib.