Everything you didn't want to know about skin cancer, but you should

Table of contents:

Everything you didn't want to know about skin cancer, but you should
Everything you didn't want to know about skin cancer, but you should
Anonim

As the good weather arrives, more and more people go outside to garden, hike, and do sports. However, due to the ever-increasing UV radiation, it is very important to pay sufficient attention to sun protection, as more and more patients are diagnosed with skin cancer. This is typically the topic where you should be more careful in advance, so we have compiled what you should be most careful about.

Melanoma is a malignant skin tumor originating from the skin's pigment cells, melanocytes, which spreads extremely quickly both in terms of its depth and distant metastases. Untreated, it is extremely dangerous, as pigmented skin cancer ranks first among women aged 20-30 and second among women aged 30-35.

"Light-skinned people, those with many moles all over their body, and those with a family history of melanoma are particularly at risk. According to many, skin cancer develops mainly from atypical moles. These are moles that have an irregular shape and are of various colors they consist of two parts (black, dark, light brown, red, pink), and areas with a more or less dense texture can be distinguished - these should be checked more often, as they can easily become cancerous. They develop gradually during life, most often during puberty or young adulthood. However, in nearly 70% of cases, the cancerous change occurs in newly formed changes, not in the transformation of existing ones," says Dr. Dermatologist-cosmetologist Vincze Ildikó, an employee of Dermatica.

Signs of cancer

Most of the moles on the skin have regular edges and are evenly pigmented in medium or dark brown. You should definitely consult a dermatologist if you experience the following changes:

1. It is suspicious if the color of the mole changes, its pigmentation becomes uneven, for example, various shades of brown and black are mixed with reddish, whitish, bluish, gray or pink shades.

2. A warning sign if its border (edge) changes, it starts to spread and grow on the skin surface.

3. In addition to the previous birthmark, a new birthmark appears.

4. The shape of the birthmark becomes asymmetrical or a new, asymmetrical birthmark appears.

5. Its surface changes, the previously flat birthmark stands out from the skin and thickens.6. A warning sign is also a bite or small wound, as well as the bleeding of the birthmark.

“Of course, it is worth paying attention to cuckoo eggs, spots that are different in size and color from moles on the skin, and apparently do not show any changes. In some cases, melanoma develops from an existing birthmark, but it often appears newly on he althy skin, so it is important to regularly check the condition of our skin. If you check your body surface once a month, you can notice changes and new growths. Of course, a histological diagnosis is required to accurately determine melanoma, however, if the cancerous lesion can be detected with the naked eye, it usually indicates a more advanced state, says the specialist.

Checking every half to one year is very important, because skin cancer is 100% curable in its early stages. However, if someone has already had it once, they should get themselves checked regularly afterwards, as in many cases the tumor can return. Control is also important because melanoma can not only develop on the skin, because according to the expert, it can appear on the mucous membrane and even on the eyes. It can also form under the nails, so for those who wear artificial nails or just paint their nails all the time, it is worth examining their bare nails sometimes to see if they see any discoloration.

Minimum SPF 30 sunscreen is ideal

Doctors can't help emphasizing the importance of sun protection, but there are still many people who don't use any products in order to get a more perfect and faster tan.

“For children and people with fair skin, products with a factor number of 50 are the safest, and for others, at least a factor of 30 is recommended. It is important to know that even these creams can easily burn if someone does not use them properly: it is recommended to apply them to the skin more often in case of increased sweating or going to the beach. Of course, it's not enough to apply it only to moles, precisely because cancer can develop anywhere! warns the dermatologist.

Image
Image

Watch your food and medicine

You can hear a lot about certain foods protecting against sunburn - especially beta-carotene-containing foods are associated with sunbathing - however, according to the dermatologist, they do not protect against harmful rays and can even be harmful in larger quantities: may increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers.

Also, be careful with medications that weaken the immune response (e.g. in case of organ transplants), as they increase the risk of developing skin cancer. Taking other medicines - antibiotics, medicines prescribed for blood pressure, diabetes, and joint problems - can cause photosensitivity: rashes, redness, and blisters appear on the skin exposed to light, and in more severe cases, on the whole body.

Most common misconceptions about skin cancer

Unfortunately, no matter how much attention is paid to skin cancer, there are still many misconceptions about it. oncoses.com has collected the most common ones.

It cannot develop in people with dark skin: it is true that it develops more often in people with lighter skin, but it can also appear in African-Americans, and they also have a higher mortality rate, since the problem is only noticed at a later stage

All you have to do is apply it when you get to the beach: the absorption time of sunscreens is approx. an hour, so it's worth applying it to the skin long before sunbathing

If you get a little base color, it can't be a problem: on the one hand, it doesn't protect against melanoma, and on the other hand, sunscreen is often not used for this reason: first, to have the base color, and then because they think that now that they already have a little color, they can't burn anymore

Recommended: