Skin cancer is the most common form of human cancer. It is evaluated that over 1 million new cases occur annually. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. Skin cancer generally develops in the epidermis (the outermost layer of skin), so a tumor is usually clearly visible. The two most common types are basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer. It accounts for more than 75 percent of all skin cancers. Squamous cell carcinomas arise from the upper levels of the epidermis, usually on places that have been exposed to the sun. Squamous cell carcinoma also can spread internally. They account for about 20 percent of skin cancers in the United States.Melanoma is generally the most serious form of skin cancer because it tends to spread (metastasize) throughout the body quickly.
They usually form on the head, face, neck, hands and arms. Skin cancer is most closely associated with chronic inflammation of the skin. Sunburn or excessive sun damage, especially early in life. UVA & UVB have both been involved in causing DNA damage resulting in cancer. Chronic non-healing wounds, especially burns.
Treatment for skin cancer and the precancerous skin lesions known as actinic keratoses varies, depending on the size, type, depth and location of the lesions. The best ways to lower the risk of non-melanoma skin cancer are to avoid intense sunlight for long periods of time and to practice sun safety. For low-risk disease, radiation therapy and cryotherapy (freezing the cancer off) can provide adequate control of the disease; both, however, have lower overall cure rates than surgery.
Interferon and interleukin-2 are under study to treat melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers. Wear sunglasses with 99% to 100% UV absorption to provide optimal protection for the eyes and the surrounding skin. Wearing protective clothing (long sleeves and hats) when outdoors. Photodynamic therapy destroys skin cancer cells with a combination of laser light and drugs that makes cancer cells sensitive to light. Avoid other sources of UV light. Tanning beds and sun lamps are dangerous because they can damage your skin. Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Radiation may destroy basal and squamous cell carcinomas if surgery isn’t an option. Reapply sun block every 2 hours and after swimming. In chemotherapy, drugs are used to kill cancer cells.
Skin Cancer Treatment and Prevention Tips
1. Radiation may destroy basal and squamous cell carcinomas.
2. Reducing exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, especially in early years.
3. Avoiding sun exposure during the day (usually from 10 AM to 3 PM).
4. Wearing protective clothing (long sleeves and hats) when outdoors.
5. Using a broad-spectrum sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB radiation.
6. Wear sunglasses with 99% to 100% UV absorption to provide optimal protection for the eyes.
By: Juliet Cohen
Archive for October, 2009
Skin Cancer Treatment Tips
October 26th, 2009Common Forms Of Prostate Cancer Treatment Prescribed (Feb 2007)
October 24th, 2009When a patient is first diagnosed with prostate cancer and has had all the relevant tests to check the extent of the disease he will normally have an appointment with his doctor to discuss what is best. Prostate cancer treatment will depend on the extent of the cancer and on the intent of the treatment. For example early prostate cancers will be treated with surgery, radiotherapy or watchful waiting. Prostate cancer surgery is a definite possibility for many men in the early stages of the disease and so the subject should be discussed with the doctor. Late prostate cancers will be treated with hormone therapy, radiotherapy, chemotherapy or a mixture of all 3. Often patients will be given a choice of treatments by the doctor and the pros and cons of each option explained. There is no best cancer of prostate treatment because the treatment you receive will depend on the extent of your cancer.
PROSTATE CANCER RADIOTHERAPY (COMMONLY CALLED PROSTATE CANCER RADIATION TREATMENT)
Many men undergo radiotherapy as it is often regarded as the best prostate cancer treatment. This may be with the aim to cure the cancer or to shrink and control it depending on the stage. Often hormone treatment is given prior to radiation treatment to help reduce the size of the cancer and improve the rate of cure. Small cancers don’t need this hormone pre-treatment.
TYPES OF PROSTATE CANCER RADIOTHERAPY
Radiotherapy is the treatment for cancer of the prostate with radiation. This is most often as X-rays which pass through the body and kill the cancer cells in its path known as “external beam radiotherapy”. The alternative way to treat the prostate is from within the body using small radioactive sources known as “brachytherapy”. Brachytherapy is only suitable for a small proportion of men with early prostate cancer and with a suitable sized prostate gland. It has the advantage of slightly fewer side effects during the treatment but would not be so effective at curing more bulky prostate cancers.
EXTERNAL BEAM RADIOTHERAPY FOR PROSTATE CANCER
The majority of men with cancer of the prostate will have this type of radiation treatment. It is given by a machine called a Linear Accelerator. This makes high energy X-rays which are good at killing cancer cells. Linear accelerators are worked by radiographers who will also help you get into the right position for your treatment and give you advice during your treatment.
For the treatment the patient has to lie on a thin couch, rather like those used in the CT or MRI scanners. The machine then moves around the patient to deliver X-rays from several different angles, all pointing towards the prostate gland. Each treatment takes approximately 10 minutes to give, and the full dose of treatment is spread out to be given every day over a few weeks. This helps to give a big enough dose to the prostate to kill the cancer whilst reducing the side effects of treatment.
To make sure you are in the correct position and the prostate is being treated properly either an X-ray picture or more usually an extra CT scan will be taken before treatment starts to locate the prostate gland accurately. At this time you will also be given several tattoos (tiny dots on the skin) so that when you lie on the couch for each treatment the radiographers can make sure you are lined up properly. This helps to make sure the prostate gland is treated fully and to reduce side effects.
Patients are not able to feel X-rays or even be aware that the treatment machine is on. However as patients go through the weeks of treatment there are a number of common side effects that can be expected. Most of these are short term side effects which slowly build up through the treatment, are worst at or just after the end of treatment and then improve quite quickly (within a few weeks). There are also some long-term or late side effects which can occur.
By: Adrian Jones
The Best Prostate Cancer Treatment for Each Type of Patient
October 23rd, 2009Whether a therapeutic technique is the best prostate cancer treatment for a patient depends on various factors. In selecting the treatment, a patient and his doctor should take into consideration the patient’s age and expected life span, the stage and grade of the cancer, possible side effects and other health problems that the patient might have.
One of the best prostate cancer treatment techniques, particularly for older men and those who suffer from other serious illnesses, is the expectant management or watchful waiting method. Watchful waiting involves the close monitoring of the cancer through prostate specific antigen testing. It does not involve active treatments like surgery and radiation therapy and is recommended mostly to those who have no symptoms. It is also used when the cancer is contained within one area of the prostate gland and is expected to grow very slowly.
Another option available to prostate cancer patients is surgery. This can be radical retropubic prostatectomy, radical perineal prostatectomy, laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) or transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). In retropubic prostatectomy, the surgeon makes an incision in the lower abdomen to remove the prostate gland. Lymph nodes around the prostate might also be removed depending on whether the cancer has spread to these parts. In perineal prostatectomy, the incision is made in the perineum or the skin between anus and scrotum. This procedure is use less often because the lymph nodes cannot be removed and there is a high probability that the nerves will be affected.
LRP, on the other hand, involves the use of several smaller incisions and specialized instruments. This highly complex procedure is known for its high precision and control. In the hands of experienced surgeons, it becomes an advantageous option compared with retropubic and perineal prostatectomy. TURP, meanwhile, makes use of an instrument called a resectoscope which is passed through the end of the penis into the urethra at the level of the prostate. The electricity that passes through the instrument cuts or vaporizes the issue in the prostate. TURP is done to relieve symptoms and is also used for benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Radiation therapy is the method in which high-energy rays or particles are used to kill cancer cells. This, like surgical procedures, is another example of a highly developed method of dealing with cancer. Radiation therapy is classified into two main types, the external beam radiation therapy (ERBT) and brachytherapy.
In treating localized prostate cancer, a procedure called crysosurgery is sometimes used. It involves the freezing of the tissues using very cold gases. Aside from cryosurgery, hormone therapy and chemotherapy are also options that prostate cancer patients can explore. Hormone therapy does not cure cancer but is primarily used to lower levels of male hormones in a patient’s body. Chemotherapy, meanwhile, is a procedure more commonly used in cases when the cancer has spread beyond the prostate gland.
Choosing the best prostate cancer treatment depends on a lot of factors. What is considered appropriate for one patient might not be good for another, that’s why options should be discussed in detail with doctors before proceeding to the treatment stage.
By: Trevor Mulholland
