|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Skin Disorders (Home) > Skin Cancer One of the most common types of cancer, skin cancer can be broadly classified into malignant and non-malignant, known respectively by the medical terms melonama and non-melonama. Melonama is comparatively rare, occurring in only about 4% of the cases, but is more deadly. The good news is that it is curable, provided detection is done in the early stages and treatment started in time. It becomes more difficult to treat if the malignancy spreads particularly to distant locations. Risk Factors Melonama has a strong correlation to excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation, the most common source of which is sunlight. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation can also occur from tanning booths and beds. Intense and intermittent exposure to ultraviolet radiation has a greater chance of causing melanoma than prolonged exposure that is less intense. Also, fair skinned people are more prone to it than dark skinned persons. Other risk factors include cigarette smoking, age (people over 70 are more prone), gender (men are more prone), and family history. Recognizing melonama You can recognize Melonama from a darkening and enlarging of existing moles. Change of color or itching of moles can also signal Melonama. Other warning signals that should alert you include differences in appearance or color between two halves of a mole, an irregular or scalloped border around the mole, and moles larger than 6 mm in size. However, you should remember that all moles are not signals of Melonama. It is best to consult a qualified physician, who has been trained to recognize Melonama, if you are in doubt. Treatment The treatment for Melonama may vary with the intensity and spread. If detected in the early stages, it can be cured by surgical operation that will remove the tumor. However, if the cancer has spread, then it may have to be treated through chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The treatment method will depend on factors like the thickness, the extent to which it has spread, the rate at which it is growing, bleeding or ulceration, and the age and general health of the patient. The surgical procedure, which is applied in cases of early detection, will involve the cutting out of the tumor along with some healthy skin that surrounds the areas of the tumor. If the detection has been done at a later stage, additional surgery, chemotherapy, Radiation therapy or biological therapy may become necessary. Chemotherapy involves the use of drugs for the treatment of cancer. In simpler cases, a single drug may be used, but in advances stages the treatment becomes more complicated with use of high dosage along with bone marrow or stem cell replacement. Radiation therapy uses X-ray for destroying the cancer cells. Biological therapy works by strengthening the immune systems of the body enabling it to fight the cancer cells. This is achieved by increasing the white blood cell count through injection of proteins. Although comparatively free of side effects, biotherapy is effective only in a few cases. Prevention Prevention is better than cure. You can take a number of steps to prevent Melonama. These include covering yourself with tightly woven or sun resistant clothing, use of sunscreen and hat when you have to go out in the sun, and use of ultraviolet resistant sunglasses. You can also try to avoid overexposure to sun by not going out during the time when the sun is strongest (between 10 am and 4 pm) and keep away from tanning beds. Non-melonama The causes, risk factors and symptoms of non-melonama are similar to melonama. However, non-melonama usually does not spread and is mostly not life threatening. It is much more common than melonama. There are two common types of non-melonama – basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The former can be recognized from a wax-like bump or a flat lesion, while the latter is characterized by a reddish nodule or a flat lesion with a scaly surface. Treatment methods include • Cryosurgery – using liquid nitrogen to freeze the affected area. • Excisional surgery – Removal of the lesion along with a part of the surrounding healthy area. • Mohs’ surgery – removal of one layer at a time till all affected layers are removed and only healthy skin remains. • Laser therapy.
|
Bookmark This Page: Add to Favorites Add to Del.icio.us Send to a Friend Resources: |
||||||||||||||||
