Cancer. What is it?

Skin cancer is an illness produced by the development of cancerous cells in the skin exterior layer.

Most of people do not know that skin cancer is the commonest form of cancer in the human being. Most of malign tumors, if they are detected early, are curable by means of several procedures. As a result of this, only a short proportion of skin cancer patients die because of it. Nevertheless, this fact has helped to create confusion among the people, because many persons mistakenly consider skin malign tumors as not dangerous. It is important to change this form of thinking, since in the recent years, world statistics about the frequency in the apparition of new cases of cancer, have detected an significant increasing in the number of persons with this type of cancer in the world population.

There are three main types of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma.
The two first types are also known as non melanoma types. It is the most frequent type of skin cancer. It is called non melanoma because it is formed from other skin cells which are not the melanocites. All of the skin cancers are counted inside this type, except the malign melanoma which is less frequent but of a greater malignity

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The melanoma type cancer can be recognized by the change in the aspect of the skin, as a wound that does not heal, a small protuberance, a red, harsh or scaly patch. Melanomas differ from non melanoma type malign tumors through specifically related factors such as: sex, age, and the body areas where it appears.

The non melanoma type of skin cancer is more frequent in persons of a white skin who have been exposed to the sun rays for a long period of time. This type of cancer can appear in any part of the body, but it appears more frequently in the face, neck, hands and arms.

It is important to visit a physician when changes or abnormalities in the skin (even a small one) are observed that can be cancer. Dermatologists recommend that when there is any suspicious skin change a specialized physician be consulted. The physician can take a sample for testing it (biopsy) and thus verify if it is the case of a malign tumor or not.

What is the cause of skin cancer?

Its cause is not completely unknown. Nevertheless, the results of several scientific studies have concluded that there are some factors of risk ( excessive exposition to the sun, type of skin, genetical factors, age) that have an influence on it.

Persons that work in the open air: sailors, farmers, construction workers, lifesavers, among others, are prone to a greater incidence of skin cancer and, it appears  in areas that have been frequently exposed to the sun rays as the neck and the head.

It is a known scientific fact that exposition to sunlight helps in the synthesis of vitamins A and D, but it has been also demonstrated that excessive exposition, although it may cause no burning, increases the risk of developing skin cancer including malign melanoma. According to scientific studies there is a correlation between latitude and risk of developing a melanoma. Persons who have lived near the earth equator have a greater risk, even if their excessive exposition to sun rays was only during a specific period of their life. Not only the prolonged expositions but short isolated periods of intense exposition to the sun can be a risk factor to be considered

The genetical factor is something that the dermatologist must consider as a very important factor at the moment of evaluating the risk that an individual person has of developing skin cancer. The antecedents of a person’s family health history are very important for evaluating each patient.

Population studies on the incidence of skin cancer show that the individual’s age is also a factor that can influence in its development. It is also known that burnings caused by the sun during childhood and the first years of adolescence can increase the risk of developing melanoma, even many years later. It is a well known fact that almost half the number of cases of melanoma occurs in persons of more than 50 years of age.

White skinned persons are more prone to develop a skin cancer. And although it is less common in dark skinned persons, in these persons the cancer, once developed, presents a greater aggressiveness.

There are other risk factors that can cause skin cancer as: the exposition to carcinogenic substances, lesions caused by radiation treatments. Predisposition to skin cancer can also be increased by inmunosupressor treatments and the over exposition to ultraviolet light.

How can skin cancer be prevented?

Avoid prolonged or intense exposition to the sunlight. Avoid being in the open air when the ultraviolet radiation is more intense, because the exposition to these rays is the main factor of risk in this type of cancer.

Other way of preventing skin cancer is using accessories that can help to the protection of the skin as hats, eyeglasses capable of effectively absorbing most of the ultraviolet rays and the wearing of adequate clothing for covering the skin.

Another way of preventing skin cancer is the frequent and adequate use of protecting creams, for temporally reducing the danger of exposition to the sun rays.

When an abnormal change in the skin is observed, a mole that has changed its aspect or bleed, it is important to consult a dermatologist with experience in diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of skin cancer.

It should be remembered that this kind of cancer can be prevented in many cases and thus it is important to diminish or avoid any factor risking its development.

For more Information:
Contact:Dr. Guido Spadafora
Tel: (507) 227 0481 (Spanish and English) (507) 9963518 (Only Spanish)
fax: (507) 227 0481
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