What is it Skin cancer?
Quantitatively, skin cancer is the most frequent in the human being in Western society, but it’s easy to prevent it and in 90% of cases it is curable. It originates as a result of mutations produced in the DNA of skin cells. Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common type and is comprised of all types of skin cancer except melanoma.
Who does it affect?
Unfortunately, 80% of the population at some point in their lives is affected. Who must, above all, respect the sun, are:
- People with a family history
- People with very white skin that almost never tan or almost always burn
- Over 30 years old
- Children
- Elderly people
Types
There are three main types of skin cancer:
- Melanoma: is the most aggressive and it’s develops from the melanocytes.
Melanoma
- Basal cell carcinoma (basal cell or basal cell epithelioma): originates from the basal cells which are the small cells that are at the base of the epidermis, which is the outermost layer of the skin. Is the most frequent. Invade locally. It doesn’t metastasize.
Basal cell carcinoma
- Spinocellular carcinoma or squamous: are thin, flat cells that resemble fish scales. They are found in the tissue that forms the surface of the skin and in the lining of the hollow organs of the body, such as the ducts of the respiratory and digestive system. It is aggressive and can metastasize.
Squamous carcinoma
Other cancers not so common:
- Cutaneous lymphoma
- Kaposi’s sarcoma
- Dermatofibrosarcoma
- Carcinoma of Merkel
Symtomatology
A change in the skin is the most common sign of skin cancer. These changes can be a new injury, changes in some spot that we already have or some wound or sore that does not heal properly. A simple way to identify a possible skin cancer is the ABCDE Rule.
Causes
- Solar Overexposure: the skin has memory. It’s very important to avoid excessive and seasonal solar exposures and at all times protect the skin with clothes and SPF 50 sunscreen.
- Genetic predisposition: people with a family history of skin cancer are 10 times more likely to have skin cancer.
- Cutaneous typology: people with fair skin, clear eyes and blond are people who are more sensitive to sun exposure.
- Multiple nevus: people with more than 100 nevus and /or that have some irregularity.
- Environmental factors: climate change, inadequate food, air pollution, water and food.
- Immune factors: people with chronic and immunodeficient diseases.
Diagnosis
When suspecting any lesions with changes in shape, color and/or size, or persistent over time, it’s important to visit a dermatologist to evaluate the lesion and make a diagnosis as soon as possible.
Within the diagnostic procedures of skin cancer, the most important advance is the so-called dermoscopy, which consists of an enlarged view of the person’s freckles and spots using a high resolution camera. This photographic document allows to determine very precisely if it is necessary to do biopsy or not of the injury and since it’s stored in a digitized form in the patient’s history allows to compare with the maximum reliability the results obtained in the different revisions to be able to detect in time the minimum change possible.
More information here
Treatament
Non melanoma Skin Cancer
- Conventional surgery
- Mohs surgery
- Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)
Melanoma skin cancer
- Conventional surgery
- Monoclonal Antibodies
- Immunological treatment
- Vaccines
More information here