Skin cancer - malignant tumor of the skin cells most often develops in those areas that are most exposed to sunlight. Avoiding or limiting exposure to sunlight on the skin can reduce, but not eliminate the risk of skin cancer.

Symptoms

There are several types of skin cancer; the most common ones - basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma.

The symptoms of basal cell carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma Carcinoma - how to prevent disaster?   typically develops in those skin areas that are most exposed to sunlight such as the face, ears or head. The symptoms of basal cell carcinoma can be:

• Swelling of the skin or pearl-colored wax;
• Flat, bodily injury or brown color, similar to scar tissue.

Symptoms of squamous cell carcinoma

This type of skin cancer most often develops on the face, lips, ears and hands. Its symptoms are:

• Hard, red seal on the skin;
• Flat formation on the skin with flaky crust or coated surface.

Symptoms of melanoma

Melanoma can develop almost anywhere - on a completely normal skin, or a mole that becomes cancerous form. In men, melanoma most often appears on the trunk, head and neck; women - on their feet. People with dark skin, melanoma often develops on the hands and feet, and under the nails.

The symptoms of melanoma are typically:

• A large brownish spot with a few dark spots on it;
• Changing the color, shape and / or size of moles;
• Bleeding moles;
• Small, irregularly shaped growths on the skin red, white or bluish color;
• Brown tumors on the palms, soles of the feet, fingertips, or on the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, anus or vagina.

Symptoms of the rarer types of skin cancer

• Kaposi's sarcoma. This rare form of skin cancer develops in the blood vessels of the skin and appears red or lilac spots on the skin or mucous membranes. Kaposi sarcoma mainly affects people with weakened immune systems The immune system - how it works? Such as AIDS patients and those taking medications that suppress the immune system.
• Merkel cell carcinoma. Symptoms of the disease are solid shiny seal, developing under the skin or in the hair follicles. Merkel cell carcinoma is most often develops on the head, neck, arms and legs.
• Cancer sebaceous glands. This is a rare and aggressive cancer of the skin that begins to develop in the sebaceous glands. Solid painless nodules, which are usually symptoms of cancer Symptoms of cancer: time to recognize the disease - a guarantee of recovery   sebaceous glands, can appear anywhere, but most often occur on the eyelids, and are often mistaken for symptoms of other skin diseases that can affect the eyelids.

Causes

Cancer skin begins to develop as a result of mutations in the DNA of healthy skin cells. It is believed that one of the main causes of these mutations is exposure to ultraviolet radiation, which is in the sunlight, and the lamps, which are used for tanning How to use the means of self-tanning . However, ultraviolet light can not explain the development of cancer on the skin, which almost never get sunlight. There are many other factors that can contribute to the development of this disease.

Risk factors

• Bright skin. Skin cancer can develop in a person with a skin of any color, but the owners of light skin exposed to it more than others.
• Sunburns. Every time a person gets a sunburn, damage skin cells increase the risk of skin cancer. The stronger the burns, the higher the risk.
• Excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Skin cancer is the most threatened by those who love sunbathing (including solariums), and remember to use sunscreen.
• Living in sunny locations and / or at high altitude.
• Moles. The large number of moles is in itself a risk factor for skin cancer.
• Skin cancer in the family or personal history.
• Weakened immune system.
• Exposure to certain chemicals, such as arsenic, also increases the likelihood of skin cancer.
• Age. The risk of developing skin cancer increases with age, so the disease develops slowly and the damage to the skin, resulting in childhood may make itself felt only years later.

Diagnostics

To diagnose skin cancer usually requires visual inspection of the skin and biopsies of suspicious lesions. If skin cancer is diagnosed, further tests are assigned to determine its stage. Skin cancer can be divided into local, growing only on the skin, and metastatic, which began to spread to other organs.

What results have scientists and that promise us new cancer treatments Cancer Treatment - difficult, but necessary   thyroid gland? Is it possible to hope for a more easy and safe treatment or medicine is still marking time in the same place?

Advances in medicine

Following the recent tests set a new gold standard for the treatment of patients with thyroid cancer The thyroid gland - is responsible for your hormones . One of the main innovations was the reduction of the dose of radiation to which the patient is exposed to - now it can be only a third of the doses previously used.

The study involved 438 patients who were given different doses of radioactive iodine. It was found that a small dose of receiving one capsule has the same effect as the previously used higher doses - are destroyed all thyroid cells remaining after surgery. In addition, low doses of radioactive iodine have fewer side effects.

What has changed in the principles of treatment

Currently, patients who underwent total thyroidectomy (removal of the thyroid gland), a few weeks after surgery give a capsule with radioactive iodine. It destroys any remaining thyroid cells, together with a potential cancer cells. Today, however, the methods of surgery are becoming more efficient, which means that after they have less thyroid cells. This in turn means that a low dose of radioactive iodine is sufficient to destroy the few remaining cells.

Previously patients because high doses of radioactive iodine had to spend several days in the hospital - the time until their bodies were somewhat radioactive. At that time, it was banned physical contact with friends and relatives; children and pregnant women in general could not attend these patients. Of course, large doses often cause side effects - such as a constant or dry mouth is a small risk of developing cancer in the future.

Upon receiving the low dose of radioactive iodine to the patient must stay in the hospital just a couple of hours. Side effects of this treatment are minimal, patients are able to quickly return to normal life.

The thyroid gland produces important hormones, and after the removal of patients have until the end of life to take hormones Hormonal treatments - not only contraceptives . A few weeks before treatment with radioactive iodine must stop taking them, which causes symptoms such as fatigue, weight gain, lethargy, and significantly affects a person's ability to cope with work and household chores. If you are using low doses of radioactive iodine can be injected directly tirogena before taking iodine, which significantly weaken the unpleasant symptoms.

Thus, scientists have shown that treat thyroid cancer Thyroid cancer: it is curable   It can be safer, faster, and less efficient manner.