What are the symptoms of skin cancer? Who is at high risk? Why do you need sunscreen when it's cold and there's no sun?

What are the symptoms of skin cancer? Who is at high risk? handheld dermatoscopeWhy do you need sunscreen when it's cold and there's no sun?

There are many historical celebrities who are also friends of skin cancer, such as Hollywood entertainer Hugh Jackman who plays the role of "Golden Wolf", skin cancer has recurred seven times; Hong Kong star Nicholas Tse has also revealed that he has skin cancer, or the most dangerous melanoma cell cancer, shocking fans. electronic dermatoscopeThe Ministry of Health and Welfare announced the 2019 Cancer registration report, and skin cancer not only ranked eighth, but also ranked among the top ten cancer research in China for a long time. What is skin cancer? Is there a sign? What are the symptoms? Is the survival rate high? How can I prevent it? (Updated on 2022/7/4)

What is skin cancer?

The skin is the largest organ in the human body, 365nm UV Lampand the outermost layer is repeatedly stimulated by temperature, sunlight, friction, bacteria, and so on, and responds accordingly. Skin cancer refers to malignant tumors on the surface of the skin that occur on the face, neck, arms and other areas that are often exposed to the sun.

Although the skin of the yellow race will generally secrete higher melanin, reduce the absorption of ultraviolet light, and the probability of skin cancer is lower than that of the white race, but we still can not be careless. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, skin cancer ranked eighth among the top 10 cancer cases in 2019, with the incidence increasing year by year. It is speculated that it may be related to the aging of the population in the social structure and the improvement of the diagnostic ability of medical progress.

What are the types of skin cancer?

Skin cancer can be divided into different types depending on where the cancer cells come from. Common types are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma.

Basal cell carcinoma: The epidermis is bright and prominent, the skin color is small, and there are occasional ulcerative wounds in the middle. 70% to 90% of these occur where the sun hits the face, neck and back of the hands. This type of cancer grows slowly and most do not metastasize, but can extend under the skin, invade bones and cause deformity in limbs. The incidence in Chinese is about 50%.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) : Most of the appearance is prominent crumb keratosis or ulceration, prone to sun exposure, chronic wounds that do not heal over a long period of time, skin exposed to chemicals, and sites that have been exposed to Chinese radiation. It usually develops into a mushroom mass, and there is a possibility of metastasis, the incidence of about 25% in Chinese people.

Melanoma: Most commonly found on limbs, such as hands and feet, with black or discolored patches. It may also appear as a protruding object. It is a very serious form of metastatic skin cancer with a poor prognosis, and about three-quarters of people who die from skin cancer develop melanoma. The incidence in the Chinese population is 4% to 7%.

What are the symptoms of skin cancer? How do I detect it?

Most skin cancer patients are painless and difficult to detect, but skin cancer is visible to the naked eye and has properties. If an unknown lump is found on the skin, the mole will become larger, discolored, or bleed, and the wound will not heal for a long time, which can be a precursor to skin cancer.

People can usually observe whether the shape of the skin lump or mole is symmetrical, whether the edge is regular, whether the color is uniform, whether the diameter is greater than 0.6 cm, whether there is an obvious protrusion and so on. And simply distinguish whether the skin mass is malignant.

Dermatologist Li Youzhuan said that many people worry that the mole on the body has evolved into cancer, and they are afraid of running hospital registration, queuing, wasting medical resources, and may not delay the golden treatment period. Taipei Medical University published the "Mole Expert MoleMe" chatbot in 2019, integrating 5,000 medical image databases and combining artificial intelligence intelligence to create a preliminary screening mechanism for abnormal moles. As long as we take photos of moles and upload them, and answer questions such as the time and location of moles, and whether they have changed within a month, the public needs to take photos of moles and upload them. You can get a risk assessment and advice on whether to seek medical attention.

What are the risk factors for skin cancer? Who are the high-risk groups?

The causes of skin cancer are mainly related to sun exposure. Long-term exposure to ultraviolet light may cause skin cell lesions. Although the ultraviolet UVB in winter is lower than in summer, the ultraviolet light received by humans is UVA most of the time, and the reduction in winter is not high, so it is still necessary to do a good job of sun protection.

Burns, radiation, genetic predisposition, chronic arsenic poisoning, or decreased immunity are also risk factors for skin cancer.

Those with fair skin, many moles, solar keratosis, and a family history of skin cancer are all at high risk for skin cancer, so we should pay special attention to our skin condition.

How is skin cancer treated?

Basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma: early detection, usually with surgical resection time can be eradicated, and the cure rate is as high as 90%; Small forms of skin cancer are not even treated with liquid nitrogen freezing or lasers. However, if it is discovered at an advanced stage, it may be necessary to add Chinese radiation therapy or chemotherapy.

Melanoma: In addition to surgical removal, if the lesion is too large to be detected later, amputation, lymph node removal, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or immunotherapy may be required. If metastasis occurs, the mortality rate remains high even with treatment.

How to prevent skin cancer?

Because UV rays are everywhere, you should avoid prolonged exposure to the sun. Even on cloudy days, you should take sun protection when you go outside.

In addition, staying away from harmful chemical carcinogens such as asphalt, tar, arsenides and pesticides, keeping the skin surface clean, and eating more fruits and vegetables rich in beta-carotene and vitamins (such as sweet potatoes, spinach, carrots, squash, bell peppers, lettuce, avocado, etc.) can also help protect against UV rays.

Patients with precancerous lesions such as solar keratosis and xeroderma pigmentosum should be actively treated. The general public should pay attention to self-observation of skin conditions. If you notice anything unusual, you are advised to seek medical attention as soon as possible.