Transcript SKIN CANCER
SKIN CANCER Senior Health-Bauberger Actinic Keratosis • Common for anyone who spends time in the sun, the greater the exposure the greater the risk • Also known as sun spots or precancerous spots Symptoms • Mole that changes size, shape, or color and has tenderness, itching, or pain around it • Scaly, dry, rough patches of skin • Crusty bump • Red, pink, tan • May itch, pricking sensation • Lies flat on skin of head and neck, raised on arms and hands Location • Most likely appears on: – Face – Ears – Bald scalp – Neck – Back of hands – forearms Why is it dangerous? • Can be first step in developing skin cancer • If not treated early, can be lifethreatening • Most aggressive and dangerous form is actinic cheilitis (appears on lips) What is the cause? • Sun exposure • Sun damage accumulates over time, even brief exposure • Everyone is exposed to UV rays, they bounce off of sand, snow, etc • 80 % of UV rays can pass through clouds Who’s at risk? • • • • Everyone… Individuals in their mid to late 20’s Anyone with less protective pigment People who are: –Fair-skinned –Blonde or Red-headed –Have blue, green, or gray eyes How common is it? • 1 in 6 will develop actinic keratosis • Older people are more likely to get it than younger (cumulated skin exposure) • More than ½ of the avg. person’s sun exposure occurs before age 20 • Anyone who has had a moderate to severe sunburn before age 12 is at high risk Treatment • Curettage/Electrodesiccation – Most common treatment, physician scrapes the lesion and takes biopsy to be tested for malignancy • Shave Removal – Scalpel is used to shave the keratosis and obtain specimin for testing, lesion is destroyed Treatment • Crysosurgery – Lesion is frozen by liquid nitrogen, no anesthesia required, no bleeding • Dermabrasion – Removal of upper layers of skin by sanding, redness and soreness occurs at first • Topical Medications – Two medicines used when multiple lesions exist, monitored by doctor, redness and flaking occur Treatment • Chemical Peeling – Top layers of skin taken off by trichloroacetic acid (while under sedation), skin regrows over about 7 days • Laser Surgery – Carbon dioxide laser beam is used on lesion, a rarely used treatment but can be especially effective for lesions on the lips Prevention • Limit the time you spend in the sun (especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.) • Cover up with protective clothing • Wear sunscreen with SPF 15 or greater • Avoid artificial tanning (400% greater risk of developing melanoma) • Perform regular skin self-examinations Melanoma • Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. • It begins in skin cells called melanocytes. • Melanocytes are the cells that make melanin, which gives skin its color and protects the deeper layers of the skin from harmful UV rays. • When people spend time in the sun or in tanning booths, the melanocytes make more melanin and cause the skin to tan. • If the skin receives too much ultraviolet light, the melanocytes may begin to grow abnormally and become cancerous. This condition is called melanoma. Melanoma • The first sign of melanoma is often a change in the size, shape, or color of a mole. It can also appear on the body as a new mole. • In men, melanoma most often shows up: – on the upper body, between shoulders and hips – on the head and neck • In women, melanoma often develops on the lower legs. • In dark-skinned people, melanoma often appears: – under the fingernails or toenails – on the palms of the hands – on the soles of the feet • These are the most common places on the body for melanoma to appear, but it can appear anywhere. Advanced Melanoma • the cancer has spread from where it started to another part of the body • Melanoma may have already spread when it is diagnosed • Melanoma may spread to another area even after treated at the original area (recurrent cancer) Melanoma can spread…