Melanoma: What Can it Do?
First off, let me tell you that Melanoma is a very very deadly skin cancer and should never be taken lightly. Besides creating deep large scars from affected areas being excised, Melanoma can spread to internal organs and ultimately cause death. Melanoma looks like a rather large mole (with a radius of about a pencil eraser) and can be raised, painful or swollen.
If you have a mole that resembles the description from above immediately see a doctor and DEMAND a biopsy of the mole in question. You need to be firm, because I have heard stories of people being ignored by their doctor (shrugged off).
Skin Cancer Relating to Tanning
Tanning beds emit dangerously high levels of ultraviolet (UV) light, which can cause your skin’s DNA to become genectically altered and permanently damaged. When skin cells become contantly damaged from UV exposure the risk of deadly skin cancer and increase by 1000 times! Tanning beds emit about 95% percent ultraviolet A light and 5% ultraviolet B light. Tanning beds are more dangerous than regular sun, despite what you have heard.
Melanoma Rates Rising in Young Women
The deadliest form of skin cancer (melanoma) is on the rise in young white females. This isn’t a big shock to me considering that white females are the ones that tend to go tanning the most. Whether it is at the pool, the beach or the tanning bed, massive amounts of UV rays are the reason why this constant increase in melanoma is occurring.
Other contributing factors that raise the risk of skin cancer are:
- fair skin
- blonde or red hair
- white (Caucasian)
Now, everyone can agree that wearing sunscreen can greatly reduce the amount of UV rays absorbed by the skin (thus reducing the chance of melanoma), however young women that go tanning do not ever wear any (since that would defeat the whole purpose).
If your not sure what Melanoma looks like check for the following below:
- A mole or growth with asymmetry
- Mole like growths that have irregular borders
- Different colors in the same mole
- Moles with a diameter that is larger than a pencil
Reasons Why Skin Cancer More Prevalent Now
Skin Cancer is undoubtedly a hot health topic these days. I see and hear daily reports on skin cancer and I got to thinking…why is skin cancer more prevalent these days?
Below are a few reasons:
Sun Tanning Beds - I live down the street from a suntanning boutique and I’m always shocked at how many people are constantly going in and out of that place. Sun Tanning beds bombard the skin with very intense UV rays. These intense UV rays damage the cellular DNA in the skin a little bit at a time and the end result is saggy skin and/or various forms of skin cancer (some of which can be extremely deadly).
A thinning ozone layer - While the ozone layer has stopped it’s drastic degradation (due to pollution) the damage has been done. The result of this thinning means more UV radiation is now being absorbed by our skin (which damages more DNA)
Living longer - It’s a fact that everyone is living longer now. Cells become more eractic as time goes by thus increasing the chance that the cells will divide incorrectly…which is cancer.
What Does Skin Cancer Look Like?
I published an article over at hubpages.com about what skin cancer looks like. Remember, early diagnosis equals a great prognosis!
About Basal Cell Skin Cancer
Basal Cell Skin Cancer
Basal Cell Skin Cancer (often misspelled as Basil) is arguably the most common form of skin cancer in the world. Basal Cell Cancer starts in the lowest layer of the Epidermis (skin), which is called the Basal cell layer. Around eighty percent of diagnosed skin cancers are Basal Cell Carcinomas. This figure used to be higher (at 90%), but cases of Melanoma are unfortunately climbing.
Basal cell carcinoma is a slow growing cancer and rarely spreads to other parts of the body through the blood stream. Basal Cell Carcinoma is usually never fatal, however it can become severely disfiguring if left untreated.
Causes of Basal Cell Skin Cancer
Basal cell skin cancer is caused by repeated exposures to ultraviolet radiation (UV rays). Sources of this type of radiation come from Sun and tanning beds (no big shock there). Intense exposures of UV rays, such as sunburns can drastically increase the occurrence of Basal cell cancer.
Signs Of Basal Cell Skin Cancer
Basal cell cancer can be hard to spot early on because it almost looks like regular skin features. Basal Cell skin cancer almost always forms on the face, neck, arms and legs (basically any parts of the body that are exposed to the sun).
Below are some things to look for:
-Deep red area on the skin that doesn’t heal.
-Bumps that look like blisters that never burst.
-Lesions (holes in the skin) that never heal on their own.
If you experience any of the above go make an appointment with a dermatologist ASAP.
Treatment Of Basal Cell Skin Cancer
Treatment varies depending on the size, depth, and location of the basal cell cancer. Treatments options can include surgery, MOHS surgery, radiation, cryosurgery (freezing cancer cells), topical chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy. Treating Basal cell with MOHS is by far the best way to prevent the Basal cell cancer from coming back (about a one percent chance of returning) while other forms of basal cell treatment are less effective (about a ten percent return rate). MOHS is a surgical procedure that involves removing tumor tissue layer by layer. Each of the layers of removed tissue are then scanned for cancer cells under a microscope.
Preventing Basal Cell Cancer
The best way to prevent Basal cell skin cancer is to protect exposed areas of your skin to UV rays. Always try to find a sun block that has a high SPF and that doesn’t contain Oxybenzone if possible.
skin cancer charts graphs
Here is a graph of skin cancer. This graph can help you to determine if a mole is just or mole or possibly skin cancer. ~ skin cancer charts graphs.
Skin Cancer Chart Below
