Melanoma : What Your Doctor isn't Telling You
The incidence of malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, has -soared in recent years-probably-because of the thinning of the ozone layer and our more active, outdoor lifestyles.
As you may know, your chance of surviving melanoma hinges almost entirely on how early it is detected. Found early, melanoma has a cure rate approaching 100%. Once the cancer has burrowed deep into the skin, however, the odds of long-term survival are slim. Unfortunately, recent trends in the way doctors practice medicine may be making early detection of melanoma less likely.
Since you cannot count on your doctor to educate you about melanoma or do a careful ` screening of your skin, your best defense is to learn these things yourself. Here are the basics. Fair-skinned people are at greatest risk.
Melanoma in blacks is uncommon, though it does occur. Melanoma tends to run in families. Be especially vigilant at checking your skin if a close relative had it. Any mole "can become cancerous, but those present from birth are riskier.
The best way to prevent skin cancer is to avoid exposure to sunlight. That's especially - important at midday, when ultraviolet (UV) radiation is peaking.
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Melanoma is a cancer that originates in the pigment producing cells of the skin (melanocytes). Melanocytes are the pigmented cells in the skin that give skin its distinctive colour. Sun-light stimulates melanocytes to produce more melanin (the pigment that darkens the skin) and increases the risk of melonoma.
Warning signs of melanoma :
- Enlarging pigmented (especially black or deep blue) spot or mole,
- Changes in colour of an existing mole, especially the spread of red, white, brown, or blue pigmentation to surrounding skin
Medical experts continue to track the rise of malignant melanoma -- a type of deadly skin cancer that was once rare but is now increasing faster than any other type of cancer in the United States. Last year alone, more than 600,000 cases of skin cancer were reported. The good news is that death rates from skin cancer, including melanoma, are small -- 9 out of 10 cases are cured.
The poor misunderstood skin. Many people don't think of it as a living thing. They just think of it as an external "wrapping layer" for the body that keeps the inner organs from falling out. :)
Well, in fact, the skin is very much alive and it's also the largest organ of the body...accounting for a full 12% of your weight. The skin performs several essential functions. "...the three that are by far the most important are the following:
- Protection of deeper tissues against drying and against invasion by pathogenic organisms or their toxins through a mechanical barrier
Young skin is particularly vulnerable to ultraviolet radiation from the sun which causes skin cancer but teenagers and adults are not taking precautions, according to a new survey.
"Unless young people change their habits and learn to protect themselves properly in the sun we could be heading for a skin cancer time bomb," survey said.
All skin cancers originate in the outer layer of skin known as the epidermis. In the normal course of skin rejuvenation, basal cells located at the base of the epidermis move upward to replace dead cells constantly being shed from the skin's surface. Along the way, the round basal cells are transformed into flat syuamous cells. Throughout the epidermis are melanocytes, cells that produce a protective pigment called melanin.
New advances in the treatment of skin cancer include the use of photodynamic therapy in the treatment of various skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma. For melanoma, physicians can now perform sentinel node examination and biopsy to determine the extent of spread before there are any visible signs and symptoms.
Can Arsenicosis Lesions Lead to Skin Cancer?
The General Warning Signs of Skin Cancer Include:
- any change in size, color, shape, or texture of a mole or other skin growth.
- an open or inflamed skin wound that won't heal.
Melanoma, the Most Dangerous Type of Skin Cancer, May Appear As:
- a change in an existing mole.
- a small, dark, multicolored spot with irregular borders—either elevated or flat—that may bleed and form a scab.
- a duster of shiny, firm, dark bumps.
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