Skin Cancer

Explanation

The skin is the organ with the greater extension in the body. It regulates our temperature, protects us from the external agents and prevents liquid loses and over accumulation. As other tissues, it can get damaged as a result of many external and hereditary factors, causing that one cell on particular can become cancerous.

To understand a little bit more about skin cancer, we must explain what consist the skin and its parts, so we will describe it from its most external to internal part.

Epidermis

Epidermis (external layer):

It consists in dead cell layers called Keratynocytes and is some thin. These dead cells came from the division of some deeper cells called basal cells. On this layer too, there are cells that give the pigmentation of the skin, called melanocytes.

Dermis

Dermis (medial layer)

It contents sweat glands, nerves, blood vessels and hair follicles; this is a thicker layer and gives support to the epidermis with its collagen and elastin fibers.

Subcutaneous Tissue

Subcutaneous Tissue (internal layer)

It contents collagen fibers and gives protection from trauma by fat cells.

According to cancer itself, it comes from a cell which lose its capacity of regulate its own reproduction, invading the close structures.

Skin cancer divides in Malignant and Non Malignant.

Melanoma

Melanoma / Malignant Skin Cancer

Between skin cancers, melanoma is the most aggressive and dangerous. It can appear in any part of the body, specially on trunk, chest, head and neck. Its incidence has been increasing, and its higher than other cancers and specially frequent on clear skinned people.

It?s good to go with the Doctor when:

• Asymmetry
• Irregular edges
• More than 6 mm diameter
• More than one color
• Funny lesions
• Lesions that had grown over time

It?s treatment consists on removing completely the lesion.

Non Malignant

Non Malignant skin Cancer

There are two types of non malignant skin cancer:

Basal Cell Cancer:

Appear on zones where sun light hits the skin, as in face, arms and neck. As it?s name says it develops from the basal cell layer. This type of cancer does not disseminate unless it remains without treatment. The patients who present this cancer on a determinate region can reappear on other sun exposed area.

Squamous Cell Cancer:

This is a slow-growing cancer that develops from squamous cells on themost external layer from the epidermis at zones with the greatest sun exposure, as face, ears, lips and neck.