6 important questions about skin cancer

Skin cancer - one of the most common forms of cancer in the world. Annually diagnosed at least 3 million cases of disease. Most of them if detected early can be treated on an outpatient basis by a dermatologist, but 1% of those who have found a melanoma - die in 90% of cases. Heroine today talks about how there is skin cancer, can save the sunscreen and special additives, as well as how to distinguish a strange birthmark on the real danger.

1. How does a cancer?

Skin cancer begins in the outer layer of skin - the epidermis. Most often this is due to the effects of ultraviolet light - including as sunlight and light from the lamps in the tanning bed. At the same time it can occur anywhere in your body, even if you are not exposed to UV rays.

What types of skin cancer are there?

The two most common types of skin cancer - basal cell and squamous. These cancers are often formed on the head, face, neck and hands - places that are highly exposed to the sun.

The third type - melanoma - a cancer education, developing with genetic defects of the skin cells, which gradually multiply. Melanomas often look like a mole, so do not always notice them in time. Most melanomas - black or brown, although some of them are pink, red, purple or personal. Melanomas can occur anywhere in the body, but most often - on the chest and back in men and on the legs in women.

2. What symptoms should I look for?

Non-melanoma skin cancer may appear as reddish bumps, scaly patches and even the scars that appear without any injury in this area.

With regard to melanoma, should learn ABCDE-rule:

• A - Asymmetry - irregular shape or asymmetry - one half of a mole does not match the other half in the form of
• B - Border - irregular edges - edge moles zigzag, scarred or fuzzy
• C - Colour - different colors in one mole
• D - Diameter - diameter greater than 5 mm.
• E - Enlargement - changes in the size of the mole, the contour edge and color over a short period of time

In general, patients with skin cancer do not feel sick. Only in some cases, they appear several other conditions associated with skin changes, such as: dermatmiozit - muscle inflammation, systemic lupus erythematosus and cutaneous porphyria - a blood condition that causes photosensitivity.

3. What could be a risk factor?

there are certain risk factors for different types of skin cancer, but some of them are the same:

• fair skin, freckles, blue or green eyes and blond or red hair,
• the presence of the disease relatives
• Excessive exposure to ultraviolet
• tendency to erosion
• high skin sensitivity
• age
• tobacco smoking
• a large number of moles
• exposure to chemicals or radiation
• weakened immune system

4. How to identify a mole or skin cancer it?

If a mole changes its size, itches, bleeds, and, in principle, different from other moles on your skin - do not postpone visit to the doctor. Some entities may even look like large pimples that do not fade and do not heal, so be attentive to all your inflammation.

5. What should be checked?

Doctors recommend that from time to time to carry out a full diagnosis of his body, carefully inspecting every freckle, birthmark, bruises and dark spots. You'll need a full-length mirror, a small compact mirror and a piece for the result records.

• Look around your body front and back in the mirror, and then look on the right and left half of the body, hands up. Do not forget to slightly raise your chest to examine the skin beneath her carefully.
• Bend your elbows and look carefully at forearms, underarms and palms. Also check the skin between the fingers and under the nails.
• Look on the backs of the legs and feet and between the toes.
• Check the back of your neck and scalp with a small mirror. Dissolve the hair to get a closer look of each area.
• Look around the back and buttocks in the small mirror.
• After inspecting the write down their findings - said the size of their age spots and where now you are moles, not to forget the information. Make a map of your body - this information can be useful to the doctor at the reception.

The doctor can not immediately tell you whether or not the cancer is at the first check. To begin, conduct a biopsy, the results of which will be sent to the laboratory. Sometimes it is used local anesthesia.

6. How to prevent skin cancer?

To avoid cancer, you need to protect yourself from UV radiation year-round, not just during the summer. Even on cloudy days, ultraviolet rays act on your skin. In addition, UV rays are reflected off the walls of houses, sand and snow.

• Be particularly careful between 10 and 16 hours of the day when UV rays are most dangerous
• Wear an umbrella or broad hat
• Conceal hands and feet
• Wear sunglasses
• Use a sunscreen with SPF30 or higher
• Plan your day in view of the fact that on the day the sun for a long time can not be
• Do not use the services of tanning, even if you want even tan

Experts recommend apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going out and update it every two hours. Also, do not forget to read carefully the composition of the packaging in order to avoid exposure to harmful chemicals.

Do you regularly undergo a medical examination?