Thursday, 8 December 2011

Skin Cancer

Skin Cancer

The cancer in the skin is one of the most common of all human cancers and is diagnosed very high all over the world.  The skin cancer develops when the normal cells grow and multiply very fastidiously.  This sudden transformation in the cells causing uncontrollable formulation of cells leads to a mass called a tumour.  Tumour of skin is often referred to as lesions.  These tumours are cancerous in the cases when they are malignant causing invasion of neighbouring tissues due to the excessive growth.  The tumours may also travel to remote organs through the bloodstream.
Types of Skin Cancer :

There are mainly three types of skin cancer, which include basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma.

    The majority of skin cancers are basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas though they are malignant they are don’t really spread to other parts of the body.
    Only a small number of skin cancers are malignant melanomas these are highly aggressive form of cancer which has the tendency of spreading to other organs of body as well.

Symptoms of Skin Cancer :


The main symptoms of skin cancer include crabs or changes in the skin which does not heal, or ulcers in the skin, discoloration of skin and visible changes in previously existing moles.

    In the case of the basal cell carcinoma generally a raised, smooth, pearly bump on the skin of the head, neck or shoulders is visible sometimes crusting and bleeding in the centre of the tumour also develops.
    In the case of Squamous cell carcinoma a thick patch develops red in colour.   Ulcers and bleeding can also develop.
    The melanomas have brown or black coloured lesions.  The signs of malignant melanoma include a change in size, shape, colour or elevation in the pre existing mole.

Treatment of Skin Cancer :

The treatment for basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma is usually done with surgically removing the lesion.  The procedure of treatment of skin cancer can include a complete process which involves various steps beginning from surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Skin cancer mainly is treated by removing the lesion, in order to make the edges free from the tumour cells.  The Mohs’ micrographic surgery is a technique to remove the cancer along with removal of the least amount of surrounding tissues which helps in attaining best cosmetically favourable results.

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