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Posts Tagged ‘Skin Cancer’

Understanding Skin Cancer

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011

One of the sad reality is that we, people, face a risk of illness. It is even sadder when the disease we face is terminal or lead to death. There are many diseases that can be regarded as terminal, but among those who are now very common skin cancers. In fact, among the different types of cancer, this is the most popular. Although there are three forms of the disease – carcinoma basal cell, carcinoma cells and melanoma scales – a fact that it is the terminal are enough to alarm us. As we know, there is still no definitive cure for the disease, that’s why the best defense we have against it is prevention.

Fortunately, there are some things we can do to prevent skin cancer. One is by simply avoiding the sun when possible. If we must go under the sun, we should never forget to apply sunscreen on all exposed body parts. Some people apply sunscreen everywhere on their body except their face. Overexposure to the sun’s rays is known to cause melanoma, but overexposure to ultraviolet radiation can cause basal cell carcinoma.

It is important for parents to know that their children could be the most at risk because of their young age. These kids tend to have very thin skin compared to that of adults and because of this, the sun’s rays can more easily penetrate through their bodies. Skin cancer is known to start in childhood, so it is important that parents always get their kids in the habit of using sunscreens.

Another thing we can do is boost our immune system by consuming foods that are known to have this effect. For example, citrus fruits are great for this purpose because of their high ascorbic acid or Vitamin C content. When we have a weak immune system, we have a greater chance of developing cancer. That’s why we need to strengthen our immunity to decrease the odds of getting the disease.

Sometimes, however, cancer can only be in our genes, but it does not mean we should just accept this without fighting. This means making the right food choices and regular exercise. For those who are genetically predisposed to cancer, eating foods rich in antioxidants is a must. Antioxidants are substances that anti-mutant cells is characterized by all types of cancer. More and more in today’s world, people are leaving what we know as traditional medicine in favor of their natural counterparts.

How to Get the Right Treatment for Skin Cancer

Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

Cancer that is formed in the tissues of the skin is known as skin cancer. It is one of the most common kinds of cancer that affects men and women. This cancer affects about a million people every year and there are many factors that cause this including excessive sun exposure, tanning, weak immune systems, etc. Read on to get a complete awareness of this most common form of cancer and on steps to prevent it.

Doctors consider a cancer treatment to be successful if the patient is alive and shows no signs of having the cancer present in his or her body five years after the date of diagnosis.The likelihood of successful treatment depends greatly on which type of skin cancer a person has.

Persons who have basal cell cancer, for example, are most likely to survive and experience successful treatment. Basal carcinomas grow extremely slowly and do not typically spread. In fact, the treatment success rate for these persons is higher than 99 percent. In comparison, those who have been diagnosed with squamous cell have a success rate just a bit higher than 95 percent. It can, however, metastasize to other organs through the bloodstream and lymph nodes if it does not get treated early.

People who have been diagnosed with a malignant melanoma have about an 88 percent chance of treatment success if they are treated before the cancer spreads. Approximately 80 percent of those diagnosed with melanoma are fortunate to find their cancers at this time. If their cancers have begun to spread to other body organs, only about 10 percent of these patients will live for as many as five years after being diagnosed.

Many different skin cancer treatments are available. Those cancers that have not spread can be treated with surgical removal, and this method of treatment is usually successful. If the cancer has spread, however, people may require other treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation.

Melanoma is extremely difficult to cure. Therefore, doctors typically resort to combinations of medicines, radiation, and chemotherapy. Sometimes other investigation treatments are attempted. Current procedures being trialed include photodynamic therapy, as well as some types of biological therapies.

How successful a treatment for skin cancer is depends largely on the amount of time the cancer has been present before it is found. Nearly all skin cancers can be cured if treated early. For this reason, it is important to be able to recognize the signs of skin cancer and see your doctor at once if you suspect anything at all unusual.