Let us start with a thought that ‘health is wealth.’ But do you really think that we are either healthy or wealthy in our lives? In today’s era, young men are struggling to get jobs, and they are also not healthy. Every day, we come across tragic news of young actors’ sad demises due to day-to-day increasing diseases like skin cancer, Covid-19, and more.
With the
rising population and deadly pollution, we are really making our lives hell. We
have to wake-up, this is the time, this is the opportunity, and this is the
only chance to save ourselves and save Mother earth. Otherwise, a day will come
when our children will have to find an alternate planet for survival. In this
article, we will focus on skin cancer, what is skin cancer, symptoms of skin
cancer, treatments of skin cancer, is skin cancer deadly or not, types of skin
cancer, and at last, skin cancer be cured or not.
What is Skin Cancer?
The skin is
the largest organ of our body, and it plays a crucial role in protecting the
body from external factors such as sunlight, heat, and injury. Skin cancer
occurs when the skin cells undergo genetic mutations that cause them to
multiply unconditionally and form a malignant tumour. Among the several layers
of our skin, epidermis (outer layer) and dermis (inner layer) are two main and
important layers of skin. Skin cancer begins in epidermis which is the outer
layer of our body.
Risk factors
for skin cancer causes include exposure to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight
or artificial sources such as tanning beds, fair skin that burns easily, a history
of sunburns, a family history of skin cancer, a weakened immune system, and
exposure to certain chemicals or radiation.
Symptoms of Skin Cancer
Skin cancer
can present with a variety of symptoms, depending on the type of skin cancer
and its stage of progression. It’s important to note that not all skin cancers
cause symptoms, and some may be asymptomatic or have subtle symptoms that may
be easily overlooked.
Let’s have a
look at the three most common types of skin cancers and their symptoms.
a.
Basal
Cell Carcinoma (BCC): This skin cancer typically occurs in the area of the skin
that is exposed to sun, such as face, neck, scalp, ears, and more. Its symptoms
include a pearly or waxy bump, a sore that doesn’t heal, a shiny or scare-like
patch, and changes in the skin.
b. Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC): It also occurs
in the sun exposed parts of our body just like Basal Cell Carcinoma. The symptoms
are such as a thickened, scaly patch, an open sore, a rapidly growing lump, and
changes in the skin.
c.
Melanoma:
Here comes the real ‘villan' devil. This skin cancer originates in the pigment-producing
cells of the skin called melanocytes. For your information, melanocytes are
responsible for providing colour to our skin. Melanoma can occur in any part of
our body and its symptoms depend on different factors and stage of the cancer.
The symptoms include changes in moles or pigmented lesions, asymmetry, border
irregularity, colour variation, and more.
Treatments of Skin Cancer
Skin cancer is
a type of cancer that develops in the skin cells due to the uncontrolled growth
of abnormal cells. Early detection and treatment are crucial for the successful
management of skin cancer.
1.
Surgery:
In surgery, basically the cancerous tissue is removed from the skin. The type
of surgery used depends on the type of skin, size, and location of the skin
cancer.
a.
Excisional
Surgery: In this the cancerous tissue is removed along with some healthy tissue
around it to ensure that the cancer cells are completely removed. This
procedure is important for BCC and SCC types of skin cancer. The removed tissue
is tested in laboratory to check that the margin tissue is clear of cancer
cells.
b. Mohs Surgery: In this technique, only cancerous
tissue is removed layer by layer and there is minimal damage to healthy tissue.
It is also examined under a microscope to ensure that all cancer cells are
removed. This way of removing cancerous tissue is highly effective in areas such
as face, ears, and genitals.
c.
Curettage
& Electrodesiccation: This procedure involves scraping off the cancerous
tissue with a sharp, spoon like instrument and then using electric current to
burn the remaining cancer cells. It is used in BCC and SCC.
2.
Radiation
Therapy: As the name suggests, it uses high-energy rays to destroy cancer cells.
This technique is effective at a place where surgery is not possible or also
used after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells.
a.
External
Beam Radiation Therapy: This is the common type of radiation therapy used for
skin cancer. It involves a beam of radiation from outside the body to the targeted
cancerous tissue. This type of radiation therapy is usually delivered over
several weeks, with daily treatments and special precaution is taken while treatment
to not damage the healthy tissue.
b. Brachytherapy: In this therapy, radioactive
seeds or wires are implanted directly into the skin near cancerous tissue. This
is a very helpful technique for those patients who are not suitable candidates
for surgery.
3.
Chemotherapy:
This is a systemic treatment that uses drugs to kill cancer cells throughout
the body. This may involves applying chemotherapy drugs directly to the skin in
the form of creams or lotions or drugs are taken orally for skin care treatment.
Is Skin Cancer Deadly or Can Skin Cancer be Cured
As stated in
the preceding parts of this article, with the help of technology and regular
development in the field of medicine, we now have several techniques available
to treat skin cancer. So, in a simple language, just understand that skin
cancer can be cured.
The second
part is that ‘is skin cancer deadly.’ Yes, it is deadly if symptoms are not identified
at early stages of skin cancer or if, for any reason, proper care and treatment
are not given.
Facts about Skin Cancer
- ·
According
to World Health Organization, there are more cases of skin cancer each year
than all other types of cancer combined.
- ·
Exposure
to ultraviolet radiation from the sun or tanning beds is the primary risk
factor for developing skin cancer.
- ·
Skin
cancer can happen to anyone, regardless of skin colour. However, fair skin and light-coloured
eyes are at higher risk.
- · Skin
cancer has a high cure rate when detected early and treated on time.
- · The reported incidence of skin cancer in India is less than 1% of all cancers.
I hope this article
has proved worthy for your skin and cleared all your doubts regarding skin
cancer and your questions related to symptoms of skin cancer, types of skin
cancer, signs of skin cancer, treatments of skin cancer, and more.
Share this
article with your friends, because knowledge increases if we share it with
others.
Image credit: Everyday health
