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What is Skin Cancer?
Skin cancer is a disease in which cancer (malignant) cells
are found in the outer layers of your skin. Your skin protects
your body against heat, light, infection, and injury. It
also stores water, fat, and vitamin D.
The skin has two main layers and several kinds of cells.
The top layer of skin is called the epidermis. It contains
three kinds of cells: flat, scaly cells on the surface called
squamous cells; round cells called basal cells; and cells
called melanocytes, which give your skin its color.
BASAL CELL & SQUAMOUS CELL
(From the National Cancer Institute PDQ Statement)
There are several types of cancer that start in the skin.
The most common are basal cell cancer and squamous cell
cancer, which are covered in this PDQ patient information
statement.
Skin cancer is more common in people with light colored
skin who have spent a lot of time in the sunlight. Skin
cancer can occur anywhere on your body, but it is most common
in places that have been exposed to more sunlight, such
as your face, neck, hands, and arms.
Skin cancer can look many different ways. The most common
sign of skin cancer is a change on the skin, such as a growth
or a sore that won't heal. Sometime there may be a small
lump. This lump can be smooth, shiny and waxy looking, or
it can be red or reddish brown. Skin cancer may also appear
as a flat red spot that is rough or scaly. Not ail changes
in your skin are cancer, but you should see your doctor
if you notice changes in your skin.
MELANOMA
(From the National Cancer Institute PDQ Statement)
Melanoma is a disease of the skin in which cancer (malignant)
cells are found in the cells that color the skin (melanocytes).
Melanoma usually occurs in adults, but it may occasionally
be found in children and adolescents. Your skin protects
your body against heat, light, infection, and injury. It
is made up of two main layers: the epidermis (the top layer)
and dermis (the inner layer). Melanocytes are found in the
epidermis and they contain melanin, which gives the skin
its color. Melanoma is sometimes called cutaneous melanoma
or malignant melanoma.
Melanoma is a more serious type of cancer than the more
common skin cancers, basal cell cancer or squamous cell
cancer, which begin in the basal or squamous cells of the
epidermis. If you have basal cell or squamous cell cancer
of the skin, refer to the patient information statement
for skin cancer.
Like most cancers, melanoma is best treated when it is found
(diagnosed) early.
Melanoma can spread (metastasize) quickly to other parts
of the body through the lymph system or through the blood.
(Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped structures that are
found throughout the body; they produce and store infection-fighting
cells.) You should see your doctor if you have any of the
following warning signs of melanoma: change in the size,
shape, or color of a mole; oozing or bleeding from a mole;
or a mole that feels itchy, hard, lumpy, swollen, or tender
to the touch. Melanoma can also appear on the body as a
new mole. Men most often get melanoma on the trunk (the
area of the body between the shoulders and hips) or on the
head or neck; women most often get melanoma on the arms
and legs.
If you have signs of skin cancer, your doctor will examine
your skin carefully. If a mole or pigmented area doesn't
look normal, your doctor will cut it out (called local excision)
and look at it under the microscope to see if it contains
cancer. This is usually done in a doctor's office. It is
important that this biopsy is done correctly.
What Causes Skin Cancer?
Sunburn and Sunlight
Very simply, sunburn and UV light can damage your skin,
and this damage can lead to skin cancer. There are of course
other determining factors, including your heredity and the
environment you live in. However, both the total amount
of sun received over the years, and overexposure resulting
in sunburn can cause skin cancer. Most people receive 80%
of their lifetime exposure to the sun by 18 years of age.
The message to parents from this is to protect your children.
Tanning is your skin's response to UV light. It is a protective
reaction to prevent further injury to your skin from the
sun. However, it does not prevent skin cancer.
Remember, skin cancer is very slow to develop. The sunburn
you receive this week may take 20 years or more to become
skin cancer.
Heredity
If there is a history of skin cancer in your family, you
are probably at a higher risk. People with fair skin, with
a northern European heritage appear to be most susceptible.
Environment
The level of UV light today is higher than it was 50 or
100 years ago. This is due to a reduction of ozone in the
earth's atmosphere (the Ozone Hole). Ozone serves as a filter
to screen out and reduce the amount of UV light that we
are exposed to. With less atmospheric ozone, a higher level
of UV light reaches the earth's surface.
Other influencing factors include elevation, latitude, and
cloud cover. Ultra Violet light is stronger as elevation
increases. The thinner atmosphere at higher altitudes cannot
filter UV as effectively as it can at sea level. The rays
of the sun are also strongest near the equator, as you might
guess. But even in Antarctica, Chile, and New Zealand, the
UV level is much higher than normal especially in the springtime
due to the ozone hole in the southern hemisphere.
One factor that actually reduces UV is cloud cover. Climates
and micro-climates with regular cloud cover may have a 50%
lower level of UV light. The actual amount is affected by
the density of the clouds.
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