Monday, March 31, 2008
Easy Ways To Deal With Skin Cancer Side Effects
Sufferings from side effects are very common when undergoing a treatment for skin cancer. This is more common if you are receiving radiation treatments or chemotherapy. One tends to suffer from several skin conditions such as rashes, redness, acne, peeling and dryness frequently. Some skin cancer patients may also feel that they are more sensitive to sunlight. Other may observe their nails becoming brittle and dark.
However, there is nothing to panic because consistent consultation with your health care team can cure some of these side effects and may also treat them.
Here are some great tips to deal with certain side effects one may face during the treatment of skin cancer:
a) You can easily deal with rashes and itches via powdering your body with corn starch.
b) Take frequent showers and use a moisturizing soap to relieve dry skin problems. You must avoid long hot baths. Hot baths only necessary when you are or an oatmeal treatment.
c) It would not be wise to use any products on your skin. The products you must avoid must include cologne, perfume, after shave lotion and all products containing alcohol. These products can dry out your skin. Also avoid using all types of astringents including witch hazel.
d) Inform your doctor immediately about any pain or burning sensation on your skin while on IV drugs. Pain or burning sensation is an indication that medicine is leaking out the veins.
e) Ask your doctor whether you can take B vitamins to deal with brittle or darkened finger or toe nails. You can also protect your nails via wearing proper gloves or foot wear when working or gardening
f) You need to take certain precaution while going outside once you find yourself hyper sensitive to sunlight. Wear good sunscreen, wear protective clothing. Also use lip balms to deal with this side effects.
g) Keep visiting an oncologist or dermatologist about your progress during the treatment.
h) You should avoid tanning beds and heat lamps at tanning salons. The ultraviolet ray coming out of these heat lamps (UV-A rays) can easily penetrate in to the skin deeper as compared to UV-B rays that come from sunlight.
i) Take supplements for vitamin A or D. Try using dairy products enriched with vitamin A and D.
j) Ask for certain creams and moisturizers that may be effective against the dryness due to skin cancer treatment.
k) Keep your face clean and dry if you are suffering from acne due to skin cancer treatment. Ask your doctor in charge to prescribe you some medicated creams or soaps for the same.
l) Always apply cream and lotion while your skin is still moist to combat dryness.
m) A colloid oatmeal bath or diphenhydramine for generalized purities resulting from the treatment of skin cancer.
n) Buy nail-strengthening products.
o) Avoid going out in the sunlight between 10: 00 a.m. and 4: 00 p.m.
p) Always wear long-sleeve cotton shirts, pants and hats with a wide brim. These hats will help you to get some relief from hair loss via blocking the harmful ultraviolet sun rays.
q) Keep informing your doctor about any inconvenience that you face during the skin cancer treatment.
Foods That Help During Skin Cancer Treatment
When undergoing skin cancer treatment, it is important to take special care of diet you take. However, in most cases, it becomes very difficult to focus on eating the right type of foods when undergoing cancer treatments. It becomes more difficult when you undergo radiation treatment or chemotherapy.
This therapy may dramatically affect your appetite. You need for counseling so that you can get proper nutritional supplements to make you feel stronger and feel faster during the treatment of skin cancer.
Here are certain foods and supplements to help you eat properly during skin cancer treatment:
a) Vitamin C
You should focus on eating foods rich in Vitamin C. Eat a lot of broccoli, spinach as well as citrus fruits. You should also consult your doctor about the fact whether taking a good amount of vitamin C will help. Experts believe that vitamin C speeds up the healing process soon after biopsy or an excision.
b) Vitamin A and D supplements
Eating foods rich in vitamin A and D will help a lot in your skin cancer treatment. Since people undergoing skin cancer are forbidden to go under direct sunlight, supplements for vitamin D become an important addition to the diet.
c) Fruits and Vegetables You should eat a lot of fresh organic fruits and vegetables. Also drink a lot of water. Any amount of dehydration in the body can prove harmful, if you are undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatments. This can eventually result in serious side effects such as dry itchy skin, acne, rashes and peeling.
d) Raw food
Experts feel that eating raw food helps in treating a lot of disease. It also helps in enhancing the effects of skin cancer treatment. Raw foods are expert in killing cancer cells. When food is cooked, about 100% of all enzymes in a food are killed. This is because most foods contain necessary enzymes required to digest the food. Cooking food burdens body and disrupts many items reaching the body. Cooking food actually damage, the overall value of the food in several ways. Hence, it is important to eat vegetables in raw forms.
e) Juice Vegetables and Fruits
There are several benefits of juicing vegetables and fruits. First and foremost, juicing allows the nutrients more digestible and removes obstructing fibers. Another main advantage is that when you juice fruits and vegetables, you tend to have a lot more vegetables and fruits than normally. Juices play vital role in treating skin cancer.
f) Specific Vegetable Juices
Certain vegetable juices are very healthy and helpful in treating skin cancer. You may also go for vegetable juice by mixing carrot juice, beetroot juice, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower.
Treatment Options For Skin Cancer
Most people are unable to treat skin cancer on time because they do not come to know that they have skin cancer. Certain outgrowths, moles and discoloration on the skin are taken as normal skin problems. When someone is confirmed about his or her illness related to skin cancer, the panic starts.
However, there is absolutely no need to panic about skin cancer as there are a lot of treatments available.
First and foremost, you need to speak to your skin doctor to determine the actual problem you are suffering from. Your physicians would like to take details regarding a lot of events related to you such as your age, medical history, extent of the disease, tolerance for a certain medication, therapy or procedure and your overall opinion for the problem that exists.
- There are many treatment options available for skin cancer. Here is a list of some great treatment options which will be considered:
a) Surgery
b) Radiation therapy
c) Electrochemo therapy
d) Immunotherapy
e) Hyperthermia
f) Photodynamic therapy
g) Nutritional therapy
h) Pain management
i) Naturopathy
j) Psycho-neuroimmunology
k) Spiritual support therapy
l) Biological therapy
Let us discuss the therapies mentioned above in detail:
a) Surgery
Surgery is the oldest existing form of treatment for skin cancer. The treatment eliminates the tumor as well as certain adjacent healthy tissues. This stops the cancer from spreading further. Some doctors also use skin peel such as the TCA skin peel that has been quite effective in treating skin cancer.
There are different types of surgeries used to treat skin cancer such as cryosurgery, electro-desiccation and curettage, grafting, laser therapy, Mohs micrographic surgery, simple excision. Cryosurgery is used to freeze the tumor. This helps in exterminating cancer cells. Electro-desiccation and curettage burns the lesion and eliminates it with a sharp instrument. Grafting is another type of surgery where a skin graft is used to replace damaged skin while removing the cancer.
The Mohs micrographic surgery is helpful in removing the cancer. A microscope is used to inspect the cancerous area in order to ensure that none of the cancer cells are present. The process of simple excision cutting the cancer from the skin and some of the healthy tissue round it.
b) Radiation therapy
This is a therapy that emits X-rays in order to exterminate cancer cells and also to shrink tumors. The therapy is conducted with the help of a radiation machine. It can be applied to any part of the body successfully to get good results.
c) Electro-chemotherapy
This therapy uses a combination of chemotherapy as well as electrical pulses in order to treat cancer.
d) Chemotherapy
This therapy for skin cancer treats by providing several cancer fighting drugs in the body. These drugs tend to exterminate cancer cells via hampering their development and regeneration.
e) Immunotherapy
It treats skin cancer via enhancing the immune system of the body with certain doses of tumor vaccines, interferon-Alfa and interleukins-2.
f) Photo-dynamic therapy
It is a new cancer therapy. An injection of photofrin is given to the patient once the cancer cell is subject to a laser beam.
Sign Of Skin Cancer
People are becoming more aware of the dangers of skin cancer. There are large public awareness campaigns on television and radio mainly aimed at teaching people prevention techniques rather than treatment or diagnosis of skin cancer. It is sensible to heed this advice because preventing skin cancer is a better long term solution than treatment or cure. However, part of skin cancer prevention is to examine the body from time to time for any sign of skin cancer. This article will cover some of the common signs to look out for.
It is important to examine your body from time to time. Pay special attention to areas that are exposed to sunlight regularly. This means the face, neck, arms and legs. Look at other parts of the body in the mirror. If you work outdoors, have sensitive skin or were burned by the sun often in childhood then you should be extra vigilant.
You will never be able to conclusively diagnose skin cancer but you may be able to raise concerns that can then be followed up by a visit to a skin specialist or your local doctor. Here are a few things to look out for.
First up, always look for new moles or moles that are growing larger or darker than they previously were. This is usually a sign that you may have a case of malignant melanoma developing, as this type of skin cancer usually takes the form of a common mole before it turns into something more serious.
Another warning sign that you should be aware of is the development of any open wounds on your body in places where you have become sunburn or places that may have experienced a lot of sun over the years. These sores may bleed or be filled with pus at times. They will have irregular edges which may mean that the cancerous cells are spreading. This is a bad sign and should be followed up by a visit to the doctor.
Skin Cancer Cure
Cancer has proved to be a difficult disease to cure, and this applies to many forms of cancer, including skin cancer. The most serious form of cancer is malignant cancer. It is almost always fatal if not detected early and treated. It is characterized by the ability to grow and divide at an abnormal rate, to destroy healthy cells around it and to spread to other parts of the body. Benign cancer is different because it does not spread and thus it can be treated effectively. Cancer occurs when the body is exposed to a carcinogen or because of some hereditary reason. This is partly why it is almost impossible to cure cancer as it is essentially the mutation of the body's cells by some external force like radiation in the case of skin cancer. Consequently much research into cancer has focused on detection and treating of cancer. The same applies for skin cancer. Although there is not a definitive cure for skin cancer there are a number of treatments that are highly effective in eradicating the disease from the body.
Common treatments for skin cancer involve freezing the cancerous cells or cutting them away from the body. In the case of a benign cancer like basal cell carcinoma this could be seen as a cure as it stops the cancer at that location. However continued exposure to the sun could cause other benign cancers to appear at different parts of the body. They could also be cut away.
Malignant cancers, like melanoma are also treated by using liquid nitrogen or by cutting out in the early stages. However it is not always clear whether all the cancerous cells have been removed and they could continue to develop and spread.
Unfortunately, none of these skin cancer removal techniques can really be considered a cure. Liquid nitrogen may not penetrate deeply enough to kill all of the cells - allowing the cancer to come back, and even surgery may leave a rogue cell or two behind, also allowing the cancer to return. Thus while skin cancer treatments are not really a cure for skin cancer they are highly effective. They are also easy to do and can be completed within 30 minutes to an hour depending on the type of cancer.
Skin Cancer On Nose
Areas of the body that are commonly exposed to the sun are the most likely areas where you may develop a form of skin cancer. It is almost impossible for the face, and nose in particular, to not be exposed to the sun unless you wear a veil or mask all the time. This is not really practical in many societies and consequently the nose is often afflicted by skin cancer.
The good news about this is that it is generally easy to detect a change in the nose, be it a lump, sore or blemish because the face is one part of the body that everybody examines on a regular basis. This means that early detection of sin cancer on the nose is almost always certain and can be treated with maximum effectiveness.
The bad news is that you are not the only one that will notice a sore on the nose, and it may become a source of embarrassment to you when other people notice it. This may lead to self esteem issues and other psychological problems. Although these are valid problems that should be dealt with, treating the nose of a potentially fatal disease is the utmost priority. Telling people about the condition is a good way to raise the awareness of a disease that it becoming more prevalent.
However, it is necessary that you take action quickly when it comes to skin cancer on your nose. Even if it is a benign cancer it can look bad and if it is a melanoma it can spread to other parts of the body and treatment becomes far more problematic.
The first thing you should do if you feel like you have one of the warning signs for skin cancer on the nose is to go see your local dermatologist or general physician immediately. As with any cancer, the sooner you catch it - the better. And it is always best to get cancer surgery, if necessary, before the cancer grows to a larger, more noticeable size. Your doctor will be able to walk you through all of the information that you need, so do not be worried about not knowing what the proper procedures will be to cure you of your cancer.
Most often, your skin cancer will be destroyed by a freezing or can be cut out with a hot knife. Only persistent cancers such as malignant melanoma and larger sores attributed to the other two types of skin cancer will require surgery - and even then, the surgery is very quick and easy. All in all, if you have skin cancer on nose, no matter which kind of cancer it is, chances are that your doctor will choose to use the least invasive method possible in order to cure your cancer correctly the first time without causing noticeable scarring.
Types Of Skin Cancer
The three types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma.
The first two are relatively inert in that they do not spread. Melanoma however has the potential to spread throughout the body and thus is the most dangerous of these three types of skin cancer. It can spread to the lymph nodes and other organs of the body. When this occurs then treatment becomes difficult. This article will describe each type of skin cancer in more detail.
Basal cell carcinoma
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common of the three types of skin cancer. It generally does not spread throughout the body so is easy to treat. Treatment involves freezing, burning or even cutting out the carcinoma. This can be done using a local anesthesia and be completed in 3 minutes. A typical basal cell carcinoma will be a waxy bump or a brownish scar on any part of the body. However it is more common on the face and neck or even the upper body and chest.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
This type of skin cancer is also relatively common. Again it rarely spreads to other parts of the body from the infected area but is more likely to spread than basal cell carcinoma. A typical squamous cell carcinoma will be a red nodule that will be firm to the touch. As it develops the area around the nodule will harden and become scaly. It is also commonly found on the face, neck and other areas that are exposed to the sun regularly. This type of skin cancer can also be treated by freezing or cutting out. Like the basal type it can be completed in the doctors surgery in around 30 minutes.
Melanoma
Melanoma is the least common type of skin cancer. It is also the most serious because it is the most likely to spread to other parts of the body. Once this occurs the disease can infect internal organs or the lymph nodes and it becomes very hard to treat. Melanomas are typically characterized by dark blemishes or moles. They change color or shape over time. It is often difficult to detect the early signs of melanoma so screening is important. This is best done by a professional skin specialist or your own doctor. You can do this yourself but the chances are that you will miss a blemish or will not recognize it for what it is.
If you spend a lot of time in the sun or your skin type makes you susceptible to skin cancer then it is a good idea to make regular screening a part of your lifestyle.
Tips For Preventing Skin Cancer
Skin cancer is a dangerous disease. It is important to get it checked as soon as you discover some of the symptoms that indicate skin cancer. However, as the experts have always said, 'prevention is better than cure.' You should focus on prevention skin cancer from attacking your skin. There are several ways to prevent skin cancer.
First and foremost, you should take special care to limit your exposure to Ultra Violet rays of the sun. Exposure of skin to these rays increases the risk of developing skin cancer. You must avoid going out in the sun between 11: 00 a.m. and 4: 00 p.m. If you have to go out in the sun, make sure that you take necessary precaution to protect yourself from the harmful ultra-violet rays of sun.
Apply a good sunscreen with high SPF or sun protection factor. Try to apply sun screen generously before going out in the sun. Don't forget to reapply the sunscreen after every half an hour.
A lot of studies in this regard have proved that applying a good sunscreen can prevent skin cancer. Try to dress in dark colors. Also wear sunglasses to protect your eyes and surrounding tissues from absorbing the harmful ultra-violet rays of the sun.
Most people are under a notion that a tanning bed can be safe option. This is a wrong notion. A tanning bed can prove to be more dangerous than exposing your skin to sun's rays. The best method is to use a sunless tanning lotion. You can purchase it from any of the local department store. It is available in different varieties for different skin types. However, remember that a sunless tan lotion will not provide you SPF protection. You need to see the label in order to make sure that a sunless tan lotion is providing an SPF.
When it comes to skin cancer, anyone can develop skin cancer. It does not attack any particular age, race or skin type. The disease also does not spread according to a particular geographical location. However, certain skin types are more vulnerable to skin cancer as compared to others. People with fair skin, light hair and light eye color or a large number of moles or freckles are more vulnerable to skin cancer.
If some one in your family suffers from skin cancer. It is more likely that you may develop this disease.
Here are some tips to prevent skin cancer:
• Tip 1
You should know about the genetic factor such as fair skin, light-colored eyes, a lot of moles or freckles or even a tendency to develop sun burn easily.
• Tip 2
Do not spend a lot of time outdoors. If you had a serious sun burn at a certain point in your life, went to a tanning salon or used a tanning bed, you may develop skin cancer. Visit a skin specialist as a precautionary step.
• Tip 3
Always use sunscreen and lip balm when going outside. Make sure that you wear protective clothing and good quality sunglasses.
• Tip 4
Have a diet rich in antioxidants as it will support your immune system.
• Tip 5
Avoid sun tanning, tanning beds or tanning salons.
• Tip 6
Keep checking your body regularly for any moles lesions or skin irregulation.
Limit exposure to reflective surfaces such as snow, water, concrete and sand. Remember that water activities can increases exposure to reflective UV rays.
Symptoms Of Skin Cancer
Skin cancer, like many forms of cancer, has no common symptoms that will make it obvious that you have a form of the disease. Only in the later stages of skin cancer will you start to feel lethargic but by this stage you will no doubt be aware of the condition. Indeed the best way to guard against skin cancer is to check the body from time to time for any changes in the skin. This article will cover the three types of skin cancer and the kind of changes to look out for. Changes in the condition of the skin could be symptoms of skin cancer but it is very hard for the layman to arrive at a decision based on this. If you have a concern about a part of the skin then you should consult a doctor.
Types of Skin Cancer
The first type of cancer is known as basal cell carcinoma. The typical signs of basal skin cancer are waxy or pearly bumps that can occur anywhere on the body. However areas that are more frequently exposed to the sun, like the face, arms and legs should be checked more often. It might also show up on your back or chest as a scar-like spot that can be flesh-colored or brown. This is the most common type of skin cancer and is treatable. It doesn't usually spread so if caught should be easy to treat.
The second type of cancer is known as squamous cell carcinoma. It is characterized by symptoms like a red nodules or a scaly lesion. Again it can show up on any part of the body but the face, arms and legs are most exposed to it. This type of cancer is also not prone to spreading, although the frequency of spreading is slightly higher than that of basal cell carcinoma. It is also a cancer that can easily be treated effectively.
The third type of skin cancer is known as melanoma, and is considered to be the rarest type of skin cancer. It is also the most serious. Symptoms of skin cancer for melanoma include a mole that can be located anywhere on your body. Check your skin for new moles. Check existing moles for any noticeable changes like an increase in size or a change in color. For instance, a melanoma can look like a large brown spot with darker speckles inside it. Lesions with irregular borders or more than one color are also signs of melanoma.
If you notice any unusual spots or moles anywhere on your body, or if a current mole changes at all, it is important to see your doctor for a professional examination. While melanoma can be more serious, it is still 99% treatable when caught in the early stages.
Prevention and Screening
Of course it is not always easy to notice small changes on your body, like a small mole, especially if you have lots of freckles. If this is the case then visiting a specialist who can examine your body is good advice. They will be more experienced at identifying unwelcome spots and blemishes and detect the early signs of skin cancer.
This is also the case if you job is spent outdoors or you spend a lot of time in the sun. Good advice is to get your skin checked out once every 6 months or so.
Other than that, you should protect the body from the sun as much as possible. Always wear high factor (SPF 15+) sunscreen, eye protection, a hat and a long sleeve shirt.
Summary
Skin cancer can be effectively treated in most cases if it is identified in the early stages.
Screen your body for new moles or blemishes.
If you do not feel confident in doing this then get a regular check up with your doctor.
Prevention is just as important as monitoring. Always wear good sunscreen at the very least, if out in the sun. A hat, long sleeved shirt and sunglasses should also be worn.
Information on Skin Cancer - Preventing Common Skin Diseases
Although it is not clear what has changed in recent times, it seems that skin cancer is far more common now. I think it is a combination of things. Firstly, research into skin cancer and how to care for skin has increased our understanding of the disease. This has increased the number of awareness campaigns so that the average person is more conscious of skin cancer and what are the main causes. People will now check their skin and see their doctor if they have a concern. This may raise the number of cases being diagnosed but it also means more are being treated, and, in most of these cases, successfully. This article will give you some information on skin cancer and hopefully raise awareness of the issues involved.
Skin cancer is a disease where cancer cells form on the outer layers of the skin. In most cases the cancer cells stay there and are easy to treat. However some will spread and can start to form on internal organs. This is when skin cancer becomes really serious and can be fatal if not treated.
There are three types of cancer. The most common form is known as basal cell carcinoma. Most people are diagnosed with this form of the disease. It rarely spreads and is easy to treat.
Squamous cell carcinoma is also a common skin cancer. It is more common for this form of the disease to spread but usually to other skin cells close to it. Again, if caught early it is fairly easy to treat.
Melanoma is the third type of skin cancer and is far less common. It is also the most serious form of the disease because it is often malignant. It will spread to other parts of the body, including internally, affecting vital organs. It is also harder to detect by personal examination.
Signs and Symptoms
There are a multitude of different signs and symptoms that can develop. The overriding advice in spotting skin cancer is that if you notice an unusual mark on your skin that doesn't go away or appears to be getting bigger then you should consult your doctor or a skin cancer professional.
Information on skin cancer confirms that a growth, an abnormal accumulation of cells, even a pimple that does not go away can be typical early signs of the disease. These marks normally occur on areas of the skin that are exposed to sunlight, like the face, neck, back and arms. However they can appear anywhere on the body.
Malignant melanoma will typically look like a brown spot or mole on the skin. This is often very hard to spot as many people are born with moles on their skin and get more as they grow older. If you notice a brown mark or mole on your skin that appears to be getting bigger then you should consult a professional for a proper diagnosis.
There is no guaranteed way to prevent skin cancer, however avoiding ultra-violet (UV) radiation is the best way to prevent it developing. You should avoid appliances like sun tanning beds that give off ultra-violet rays. The sun is the main source of UV rays and it is virtually impossible to avoid these rays (and in limited quantities sunlight is beneficial to the health). However when you are in the sun you should protect you skin. This can involve wearing clothes like long sleeve shirts, wide brimmed hats and sunscreen. You should also wear sunglasses for the eyes.
