Skin cancer - what do we know about it?

Skin cancer is an increased growth of malignant skin formations . Skin cancer, as a rule, is formed on the surface layer of the skin, where it is clearly visible, so it can be easily detected at an early stage.

Skin cancer, unlike other types of cancer, is usually not fatal, but, nevertheless, is dangerous to human health.

The main cause of skin cancer is sun exposure.

Light-skinned people are more likely to develop skin cancer. As a rule, these people have a bright eye color (blue or green), blonde hair, and tan is bad for their skin, that is, they quickly "burn".

The most effective method of preventing skin cancer is to protect against sunlight:

Avoid direct sunlight from 11:00 to 16:00, when the ultraviolet rays are most intense. This is the time when your shadow is shorter than you;

Wear light clothing and a hat;

Use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF - Sun Protection Factor), not less than 15; The number of SPF does not show how many times longer a person can sunbathe.

People with light skin color usually get sunburn after 20 minutes, applying sunscreen with SPF 15, in the sun you can stay longer 15 times (20 min * 15 = 300 min).

There are two types of skin cancer:

Basal cell carcinoma (basal cell carcinoma) is the most common form of cancer in the world. Most often, the basal cell develops on the face and neck (85%), on the exposed parts of the body, but basal cell carcinoma can also develop in other parts of the body. Basalioma can look different. It often appears as a small, pearly white ball, on which you can see tiny pink blood vessels. Basaloma can also appear as a small sore with a crust that is characterized by a cyclic development, that is, the sore can bleed, then it is covered with a crust, it may even seem that the sore is cured, but after a short time the skin damage appears again - everything starts with The very beginning. Rarely does basal cell appear, which looks like a white or yellowish scar.

This is a relatively benign type of skin cancer, it grows relatively slowly and rarely gives metastases.

However, if left untreated, it can lead to a wide range of local injuries.

Types of treatment basilioma (the doctor chooses the right one):

• Surgical removal;
• Cryodestruction (treatment with liquid oxygen)
• Laser destruction;
• Irradiation with X-rays;

Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common type of skin cancer. As a rule, it appears on the ears, face or scalp, nevertheless squamous cell carcinoma can develop on any part of the body - on the lips, in the mouth and on the genitals.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin usually appears as a red irritated spot on the skin. Usually this type of skin cancer creates local destructive damage. If left untreated, it causes damage to surrounding tissues to such an extent that the patient may lose an ear or nose. Cancer cells can spread to the lymph nodes and other organs (metastasize) in such a way that it becomes life-threatening. The main method of treating squamous cell carcinoma is surgical removal.

The good news is that early detection of a tumor can be successfully treated. A quick and reliable diagnosis of pigmented lesions is performed using a dermatoscope. Dermatoscopy is a very simple procedure, which often takes only a few minutes. During the procedure, a specialist assesses whether there are grounds for concern. If the cancer is detected early, it is often enough operation, during which the cutaneous formation and nearby tissues are cut out and sent for examination to the laboratory. The conclusion of the laboratory is the last stage of the diagnosis, which confirms the presence or absence of skin cancer.

The newest methods of diagnosing and treating skin cancer can be obtained in Germany, in cancer clinics that specialize in the treatment of skin cancer. Germany has long been famous for its quality, which applies to medicine too.