What are the treatments for skin cancer?

There are 4 main treatments for skin cancer. The main treatment is surgery. For most people, this is the only treatment they have to have. Often it is a day surgery, with just a local aesthetic. The area is completely removed, and the patient has a short recovery period. Most squamous cell cancers and basal cell cancers are totally curable with surgery.

Of course, there is not just one are different types of surgical techniques that are used depending upon the size of the cancer, the type of cancer, the stage of the cancer, and where the cancer is located.

For a wider or spreading cancer, you could be put under a general anaesthetic. This is because of the possibility of you needing a skin flap, which is a thicker piece of skin tissue with it’s own blood supply that is removed from another part of the body and used, or a skin graft can be taken.

For treatment and diagnosis of skin cancer, your doctor will probably refer you to a dermatologist, unless you have a large surface area of cancer or it is in an awkward spot to remove. If this is the case, you will be referred to a plastic surgeon

The doctor will often take out lymph nodes that are close to the cancer. This is often done as a preventive measure, so even if there is no sign of cancer, your doctor will usually insist that they are removed. Remember, even a few cancer cells can turn into tumours further down the line

Radiotherapy can also used to treat skin cancers if sugury is not suitable. It is usually used if the cancer covers a large area, or is on an area that is hard to operate on, or if there are reasons why the patient should not have surgery, i.e.: Radiotherapy is also given after surgery to lessen the chances of the cancer returning, and to treat recurred cancers after they were first treated with surgery

Chemotherapy is also used in the treatment of skin cancer. It can be taken as tablets or injections when used to treat skin cancers that are on the top layer of the skin and to treat actinic keratosis. Chemotherapy tablets or injections are only used for skin cancers that have spread. This treatment is mostly used to relieve symptoms in cancers that cannot be cured. This is still considered experimental treatment with ongoing clinical trials.

Photodynamic therapy or PTD is a new type of treatment using light, and is used as an alternative to surgery. Although there is not enough evidence that it controls the spread of squamous cell skin cancer, with too high a risk of the cancer returning, there is evidence that it is useful for several types of skin cancer. Photodynamic therapy using a cream is now available for use for Bowen's disease, actinic keratosis (also known as solar keratosis) and basal cell skin cancers. It is recommended that Photodynamic therapy is best used where the patient would need extensive surgery, so this is best for large, shallow skin cancers, or where there are multiple cancers in the area of concern. This being said, Photodynamic therapy is not used for deeper skin cancers because the light cannot penetrate far enough into the skin. In studies, Photodynamic therapy improved the appearance of the area treated better than surgery. In trials, Photodynamic therapy was as good as surgery in controlling actinic keratosis, basal cells and Bowen's disease in these trials.

I recently finished an excellent book on alternative cancer treatments called Natural Cancer Treatments That Work. The information in this book could help. There are over 350 gentle, non toxic treatments for cancer that nobody else will tell you about. Thousands of people have successfully used the alternative cancer treatments that are in this book.

FDA Newly Proposed Rules for Sunscreen Products Will give Public Better Protection

FDA Proposed Rules for Sunscreen


We all enjoy going out on a sunny day, whether to garden, go to the beach, or just for a walk, and we have trained ourselves to slap on the sunscreen before venturing outdoors, but did you know that your sunscreen does not tell you what protection you are really getting from it?Well, if a newly proposed. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule for sunscreen products is adopted, we will have that information in a much clearer way.

One million people in North America will be diagnosed with some type of Skin Cancer this year, and that is far too many, since this is a preventable disease.

Excessive exposure to UV radiation is the one most important preventable cause of skin cancer. It is common knowledge that the effects of sunlight damage on our bodies is growing every year, due to lowered ozone levels that allow more of the harmful rays though the earths atmosphere.

The newly proposed rule seeks to establish standards for testing, formulating, and labeling all over-the-counter sunscreen products with ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) protection. UVA light is responsible for tanning and UVB light is responsible for sunburn. Both of these types of light will damage the skin and increase the risk of skin cancer with over exposure.

Presently, the only way for consumers to find out the level of UVB protection in their sunscreen product is by its SPF or, sun protection factor.

This new rating would establish a scale of one to four stars. One star on the label would represent low UVA protection, two stars on the label would represent medium protection, three stars on the label would represent high protection and, of course, four stars would represent the highest UVA protection that available in an over-the-counter Sunscreen product. The FDA is also proposing that the product, if it does not have at least a low level or one star of protection, that the manufacturers will be required to have a "NO UVA PROTECTION" marking on the front label adjacent to the SPF value.

The FDA is also proposing a required warning statement to be placed in the "Drug Facts" box for all sunscreen product manufacturers. The warning will state: "UV Exposure from the sun increases the risk of skin cancer, premature skin Aging, and other skin damage. It is important to decrease UV exposure by Limiting time in the sun, wearing protective clothing, and using a Sunscreen." The warning is being put on the label to remind people that sunscreens are only a part of a sun protection program.

With over one million cases of skin cancer in North America alone, the I feel that these measures will dispel any worries about what exactly the protection is that we are getting in our over the counter sunscreens. This this proposal is an excellent step one by the FDA, and I hope that it goes through and is implemented quickly. The idea of a symbol being used (Stars) is genius, giving people of any age, including children, the knowledge they need to be proactive in the fight against skin cancer.

Of course, ensuring that sunscreen products with no UVB protection will be labeled as such is an excellent move by the FDA. There are many varieties of sunscreen at the market, and being able to simply and quickly make a wise and knowledgeable choice about how much protection you want cannot be anything but a good idea.



For more information on Skin Cancer, please visit my site:
Signs Of Skin Cancer
at http://www.signsofskincancer.tdick.com

Self Examination for Signs of Skin Cancer

It is very easy to give yourself an examination for signs of skin cancer. Develop a routine to regularly inspect your body for skin growth changes. If any growth, mole, sore or skin discoloration begins to change or suddenly appears, see your dermatologist. Remember, each of the skin cancers are treatable with early detection.
To help you know waht to look for, there is an easy reminder of what to look for in the exam. It is the ABCD’s and recently added E. The letters stand for:

Asymmetry - when one half of the growth has a different shape than the other.

Border irregular - when the growth has uneven edges

Color varied – the growth has more than one color. Melanomas may be black, shades of brown and tan, and even have specks of red, white, blue or/and black.

Diameter - a size, bigger than the diameter of a pencil eraser.

Enlargement - recently doctors haves have recognized the importance of moles that grow larger in predicting high-risk lesions. Thus they have now added E to the criteria.

Remember, with early detection, skin cancer is not only treatable, but also curable. I recently read an excellent ebook. "How I Survived Melanoma Skin Cancer - seven survivors tell their stories" It is written from the vantage point of 7 people diagnosed with Skin Cancer. I was impressed most not with the clinical information that you find on most websites, but with the emotional and mental attitude of these survivors. They share their stories on how they keep positive even at the lowest moments. It really is a good read. I read things that I hadn’t found anywhere else. A recommended read for dark nights.

For more information on Multiple Melanoma, please visit my site, Signs Of Skin Cancer and Other Information

Signs Of Skin Cancer

Signs of Skin Cancer

The most common signs of skin cancer are a sore that will not heal, a change in an existing skin growth and of course, any new growth on the skin. If you have any of these symptoms, remember that most moles and other growths are quite harmless, but you should go to a doctor and get any changes checked out.

Our bodies have many skin growths that are non cancerous or benign. Of course, moles are one of these. There are moles that you are born with, or "congenital nevi,” and acquired moles, usually developing in early adolescence. These will darken and grow in the teenage years. It is not uncommon for adults to have over 50 acquired moles. Sometimes, if a mole is irritated by clothing or friction, a doctor will remove it.

As we age, flat light brown spots occur on the neck, hands, face and forearms that are commonly called liver spots. The true name for these is "solar lentigines," and they are a direct result from over exposure to sun and aging. Also due to aging, harmless wart- like brown growths called Seborrheic Keratoses can occur. This should not be confused with Actinic Keratoses, which are slightly scaly, reddish patched pre-cancerous growths that form on people with sun-damaged skin. Doctors will recommend removal of these, as they are pre-cancerous.

So, although most skin growths are not cancerous, it is imperative to go to a doctor about any changes in old growths and any new growths. When growths are cancerous, they usually change size or color, and often are sores that will not heal. Self examination is a good way to make sure that your skin growths have not changed, and self examinations are very important, not only for people who have had skin cancer as it can detect new cancers and recurrences of cancer at the early (curable) stager, but also for people who are at risk. This includes anyone over 40 with over 50 moles, atypical moles or people with fair skin and in the sun a great deal.

Remember, with early detection, skin cancer is not only treatable, but also curable. I recently read an excellent ebook. "How I Survived Melanoma Skin Cancer - seven survivors tell their stories" It is written from the vantage point of 7 people diagnosed with Skin Cancer. I was impressed most not with the clinical information that you find on most websites, but with the emotional and mental attitude of these survivors. They share their stories on how they keep positive even at the lowest moments. It really is a good read. I read things that I hadn’t found anywhere else. A recommended read for dark nights.

For more information on Multiple Melanoma, please visit my site, Signs Of Skin Cancer and Other Information