Tag: skin cancer

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Skin Blemishes of Breast

Skin Blemish of Breast
(click to enlarge)

Skin lesions and blemishes are very common. Most of them are benign and have no malignant potential. But some can be malignant or potentially malignant. Some areas of the body are easy to examine but other parts of the body are not clearly visible. One such area is lower part of a woman’s breast.

Many women are very particular in doing breast self-examination but forget to do visual inspection of the nipples, areola and under surface of the breasts where moles can be missed.

Moles that are of medical concern are those that look different than other existing moles or those that first appear after age 20. If you notice changes in a mole’s colour, height, size or shape, you should have these moles checked. If the moles bleed, ooze, itch, appear scaly or become tender or painful then it is time to have them removed and checked for cancer.

The following ABCDEs are important signs of moles that could be cancerous:

Asymmetry – one half of the mole does not match the other half.

Border – the border or edges of the mole are ragged, blurred or irregular.

Colour – the colour of the mole is not the same throughout or has shades of tan, brown, black, blue, white or red.

Diameter – the diameter of a mole is six millimetres or larger.

Evolution – moles which have changed over a period of time.

Remember, there is a forecast for a sizzling summer this year. So, we should continue to remind ourselves to protect the rest of the body from sunburn. Use of sunscreen is one way to do it. There is a lot of misconception about what kind of sunscreen to use and how to apply.

Sun Protection Factor (SPF) 30 provides 30 times greater sun protection than unprotected skin when exposed to damaging sun’s ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. This does not mean you can stay in the sun for 30 hours without burning yourself. Sunscreen should be applied liberally and often depending on how much you sweat and how wet you are. Make sure the sunscreen blocks UVB and UVA. Higher SPF provides better protection. Wear protective clothings, wide brimmed hat, sunglasses which block both ultraviolet rays.

The best protection against sun’s damaging rays is to stay away from the sun and take your vitamin D regularly. I guess that is too much to ask, especially when our summers are so short. So enjoy the sun but be sun smart.

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Sun Smart Golfers (Photo)

Published in The Medicine Hat News.

Scan of the photo from The Medicine Hat News.

Original: (click to enlarge)

The original photo.

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So, are you ready for the summer, sunscreen and bug spray?

Summer is finally here. So are the ultraviolet rays (UVR) and the mosquitoes.

Exposure to sun’s rays can be healthy and harmful. There are more than 25 human disorders that are either caused by or aggravated by exposure of the skin to sunlight. But exposure to sunlight is also the most potent and natural way to manufacture vitamin D in our body.

Our skin can be protected from the harmful effects of UVR by use of sunscreens. Chemical sunscreens were discovered in 1926. Subsequent sunscreen evolution was primarily directed toward ultraviolet B (UVB) protection to lessen development of sunburn from overexposure to the sun.

There are many different brands of sunscreen available. Sunscreen should be efficient, water resistant and safe. It should spread easily, maximize skin adherence, should be non-stinging, non-staining, and inexpensive. Most popular sunscreens are available in creams and lotions. Lotions spread more easily.

Many sunscreens do not block UVA radiation, which does not cause sunburn but can increase the rate of melanoma, so people using sunscreens may be exposed to a high level UVA without realizing it.

The ability of a sunscreen to protect the skin from UVR-induced skin redness is measured by the SPF. The redness is from sunburn. SPF 15 blocks 93 per cent of UVB. Some argue that SPF 15 is sufficient and that higher labeling claims are misleading and costly for consumers. But some studies have shown that higher SPF (SPF 30) sunscreens conferred better benefits.

The SPF varies depending on the nature of the sun blocking ingredients in the product. Since the SPF refers only to protection against UVB, it is important to choose a “broad spectrum”
sunscreen that also protects you from UVA radiation. Also check if they are water resistant and follow the instructions on the product label on how often to apply for best results.

It is important to note that while sunscreens can help reduce sunburn, they are not as effective against the other harmful effects of UV rays, like premature aging of the skin and depression of the immune system.

Recurrent sunburn causes permanent damage to the skin and causes skin cancers. You should avoid sunburn by other means wearing appropriate clothing, wide-brimmed hat and appropriate sunglasses and avoid sun exposure between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Do not forget about mosquitoes and West Nile virus. Canada had its first confirmed cases of West Nile virus in 2002. For most Canadians, the risk of illness from West Nile virus is low, but it is important to minimize your risk. Use insect repellents and wear light-colored long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and a hat when outdoors. Limit the time you spend outdoors at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.

Enjoy the summer but be safe.

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Non-melanoma Skin Cancer can Disfigure You

92 year old male with a two month history of left forearm lesion. The lesion was excised under local anesthetic. Pathology report: 2.5 cm diameter, well differentiated, invasive squamous cell carcinoma, completely excised. (Dr. Noorali Bharwani)
92 year old male with a two month history of left forearm lesion. The lesion was excised under local anesthetic. Pathology report: 2.5 cm diameter, well differentiated, invasive squamous cell carcinoma, completely excised. (Dr. Noorali Bharwani)

What is the most the most common cancer in Canada?

This is no brainer. It is skin cancer.

There are two types of skin cancers: melanoma (also known as malignant melanoma) and non-melanoma skin cancer. Non-melanoma skin cancers are basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). We discussed melanoma in the last column. Today, we will discuss BCC and SCC.

BCC and SCC are malignant tumours but typically are not life threatening and are usually successfully treated in doctors’ offices. If they are not treated then they grow slowly over a period of time and require bigger excision and this can be disfiguring. Especially, if they are on the face, head and neck – the most common sites of sun exposure.

Excessive sun exposure is responsible for 90 per cent of non-melanoma skin cancers and two thirds of melanomas.

What are the risk factors? People who have fair skin, have tendency to freckle, have high degree of sun exposure, make excessive use of sun beds, had previous radiotherapy or phototherapy and those who have genetic predisposition.

BCC arises from the lowest layer of the epidermis, called the basal cell layer. About 80 per cent of non-melanoma skin cancers are BCC.

BCC usually grow slowly. It is very rare for a basal cell cancer to spread to nearby lymph nodes or to distant parts of the body. But if a basal cell cancer is left untreated, it can grow into nearby areas and invade the bone or other tissues beneath the skin. They are locally invasive and disfiguring.

After treatment, BCC can come back in the same place on the skin. People who have had BCC are also more likely to get new ones elsewhere on the skin.

The first line treatment of BCC is often surgical excision. Many non-surgical alternatives are available but if it is not adequately treated then two thirds of recurrent tumors appear in the first three years of treatment and 18 percent appear between five and 10 years after treatment.

SCC – about 20 per cent of non-melanoma skin cancers are squamous cell carcinomas. They commonly appear on sun-exposed areas of the body such as the face, ears, neck, lips, and backs of the hands. They can also develop in scars or skin ulcers elsewhere.

SCC tends to be more aggressive than BCC. They are more likely to invade fatty tissues just beneath the skin, and are more likely to spread to lymph nodes and/or distant parts of the body, although this is still uncommon. Treatment is same as for BCC.

If you like to worship sun, then expect to burn and eventually get cancer.

Next week, what do you know about sunscreens?

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