Download Skin Cancer

SKIN CANCER
By: Amanda Chahulski and Amanda Hall
WHAT IS SKIN CANCER?
Skin Cancer is the uncontrollable growth of
abnormal skin cells.
- Skin Cancer may appear when cells are exposed
to some external environmental condition

CAUSES OF SKIN CANCER
It occurs when there is unrepaired DNA damage
to skin cells, which results in malignant tumors.
- Ultra-violet light exposure from sunlight; most
frequent cause
- Use of tanning booths
- Exposure to mass amounts of x-rays
- Exposure to certain chemicals

INHERITED… OR NOT?
Cancer in general, is cause by a mixture of both
environmental and genetic factors.
- SKIN CANCER CAN IN FACT BE INHERITED
- Environment plays the key role in Skin Cancer
- 5-10% of cancers are hereditary

CANCER EFFECTS ON THE BODY
Immunosuppression-impairment: the
suppression of the immune system
- The immune system protects the body from
foreign entities and germs
 Marks on the skin that can be brown or red
- Will often turn red before brown (also known as
sunburn)
- Depending on melanin levels in the body. If
you have a mass amount of melanin in your body,
you are less likely to have sunburn, compared to if
you have a low amount of melanin in your body.

STAGES OF SKIN CANCER
Spreading of skin cancer: Through tissue, through the lymph system and
through the blood
Stage 0: Abnormal cells are found in the squamous cell layer of the epidermis
(topmost layer of the skin). This stage is also called carcinoma in situ
Stage 1: The tumor which has formed is no more that 2 centimeters. In this
stage cancer has officially formed
Stage 2: The tumor is continuing to grow, and it is either larger than 2
centimeters at its widest point or is any size (these are a more developed
cancer)
Stage 3: The cancer has started to spread throughout the body. The cancer
may have spread to one of the lymph nodes. (which is not any bigger than 3
centimeters)
Stage 4: The tumor has spread from the jaw, eye socket or side of the skull.
The cancer has spread to one side of the lymph node on the same size of the
body (the lymph node is no smaller than 3 centimeters and no larger than 6
centimeters)
*THE OUTCOME OF THESE STAGES IS UNKNOWN. EVERYTHING
DEPENDS ON HOW EARLY YOU CATCH THE CANCER, AND HOW YOU
DECIDE TO GO ABOUT TREATING IT. IF THE CANCER IS LEFT
ALONE, THE WORST POSSIBLE OUTCOME OF EVERYTHING IS
DEATH*

STAGES OF SKIN CANCER
HOW IS THIS DETECTED?
Knowing that you have cancer can sometimes be more difficult than
you assume, what many people look at as sunburn or even just an
everyday mole could be cancer.
-Moles!!!! (Commonly not thought to be cancer)
-Color changes
-Increase in size or thickness
-Changes in texture
-Irregular outlines
-Bigger than 6mm, ¼” (the size of a pencil eraser)
-Appears after the age of 21
-An open cut that does not heal within 2 weeks
-A spot or sore that continues to itch, hurt, crust, scab, erode or bleed
-A skin growth that increases in size and appears pearly, translucent,
tan, brown or multi-colored

SKIN CANCER TREATMENTS

Depending on how early you catch the cancer, what treatment option you choose may
vary.
Clinical Trials: Research studies to test promising new or experimental cancer treatments
Targeted Therapy: specific drugs target the abnormal aspects of tumor cells without
harming other healthy cells
Surgery: Used in early cases of cancer.
-Simple Excision
-Mohs Surgery
-Wide Local Excision
-Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy
Immunotherapy: systematic therapy used for high risk cancers
-Yervoy (ipilimumab or ipi)
-Interferon alpha 2b
-Interleukin-2 (Il-2)
Chemotherapy: Medication is given in hopes of destroying the cancer cells
Radiation Therapy: Prevent recurrence
Regional Perfusion (Isolated Limb Perfusion): Used to treat one limb that is affected by the
cancer that cannot be removed by surgery alone
IS THERE A CURE?
As of now there is no guaranteed cure for Skin
Cancer, but the treatments that are available are
known to be very effective in stopping the spread
of the cancer cells
-Finding the cancer in the earliest stages will
increase your chances of choosing a treatment that
could remove all the cancer
-Especially if it is a tumor that has been caught
early

SKIN CANCER PREVENTION


Skin Cancer is commonly not known by many because
they do not know the warning signs, being educated
on the cancer will help in the prevention of it.
Prevention:
-Wear sunblock!!! ALWAYS!!
-Give yourself monthly checks!
-Do not use tanning beds and avoid all UV
light
-Cover up
-Do not burn!
-See your physician every year
FACTS!
More people are diagnosed with skin cancer than
people with breast, prostate, lung and colon
cancer combined
 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their
lifetime
 One American dies of skin cancer every hour
 Medical costs for skin cancer treatments are $2
billion annually
*DON’T BE ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO THINK
THAT THEY WONT GET IT! IT IS POSSIBLE
FOR EVERYBODY TO HAVE SKIN CANCER! BE
EDUCATED!*

SUPPORT GROUPS
Finding support groups for skin cancer and
cancer alone is easy! They are everywhere.
-JamesCare for Life
-American Cancer Society
 Even just going online, there are chat rooms for
cancer patients where you can share your stories
and help others through rough times

RESOURCES
1.(http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatm
ent/skin/Patient/page2)
 2. (http://www.skincancerprevention.org/skincancer)
 3. (http://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancerinformation/early-detection/if-you-can-spot-ityou-can-stop-it)
 4.(http://americancancerfund.org/index.php?optio
n=com_content&view=article&id=72&Itemid=81
&gclid=CNSv_pjF27MCFexAMgodLxkAKQ)
 5. (http://www.melanoma.org/learnmore/melanoma-treatment-centerfinder?gclid=CP6RtPiJ3rMCFUZgMgod-l8AcQ)
