Skin Cancer and Me

The last thing that anyone wants to hear when they are sitting in that Doctors office is “I am afraid that you have Cancer”

Thoughts turn into fear, How long have I got left, why me, you begin planning your funeral. Without hearing what the doctor is actually saying to you.

I was recently diagnosed with skin Cancer but when I began to listen to my Doctor after the initial shock I became aware that it was treatable and I did not have to dig my grave just yet.

Something is not right

At the beginning I was curious about a spot which have grown on my right cheek. I did not pay to much attention to it as I believed that is another acne spot of mine. I often sit in front of a mirror and counting all my spots just to see the score!

After a few days I saw that the spot I tought is an acne spot does not healing at all but growing bigger and bigger. Therefor I went to see my dermatologist. I’ve known her for more than 15 years, so she was a first person who came into my mind. When she saw the red spot on my skin I could see from her look, something is not right.

Doctors

After visiting my dermatologist I got into a process of tests. „We need to do this and that“

All I ever heard was „ It is going to be fine, you have nothing to worry about. We just need to do few more tests.“  The graduation of all was a small surgery and my spot was taken out, leaving me with just a small scar on my beautifull face.

Results

A week after a surgery my dermatologist called me for an appointment. I felt quite fine and never tought about the reason Why she wants to see me. Sitting in a waiting room tooks ages. Every minute lasted like an hour. Then I was called in. When I went there my dermatologist was in a room alone waiting for me. She explain me why they took the spot out of my skin. Then she silently said I was diagnosed skin cancer. So the red growing spot was not caused by acne but it was Melanoma.

I was assured it is at an early stage so there is a high cure rate for me. I was not able to say much. I just said thank you and took few prospects and left.

All of it came to me in the evening when I sat home surounded by few walls. I started to search on internet all available information about the type of my cancer

Future

After a few days when I did not wanted to see anyone I end up with 2 choices.

First choice- I can sit home and cry, blaming all the world. Shut all the doors and be depressed until the cancer beat me.

Second choice- I can fight the cancer right away without wasting any minute of giving a chance to this cancer ghost. Medicine is on a high level these days and I am not the only one who suffer from such illness.

I have choosen to fight and try my best to help people Who trying to help me in my fight.

Skin Cancer

Skin cancer can be fatal but if it is detected early enough it can be treated and cured.

Skin Cancer is the most common form of Cancer and over one million people world wide are diagnosed with it every year.

There are three different types of skin cancer Basal cell carcinoma epithelioma, Squamous cell carcinoma (The first stage of which is called actinic keratosis) and Melanoma.

Basal Cell and Squamous cell carcinoma are classed as non melanoma skin cancer

Melanoma skin cancer is the most dangerous type of Skin cancer of the three types because it can spread all through the body quickly.

Basal Skin Carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer and the easiest to treat Basal cell does not spread around the body but it does grow and cause damage to surrounding skin.

Symptoms of Basal Cell Carcinoma

In the very early stages of Basal cell carcinoma it can appear as a shiny red patch of skin, it can also appear as a sore that seems to repeatedly heal and return.

Basal cell Carcinoma comes in all shapes and sizes but the most common of these look like a pimple or a dome shaped spot which can have blood vessels on the surface.

The rarest form of Basal cell carcinoma looks like a smooth white or yellowish waxy scar.

DIAGNOSIS

A biopsy is required to diagnose skin cancer. A dermatologist can perform this simple test by removing a sample of the tissue. This sample is examined under a microscope to see if cancer is present.

In some cases, the dermatologist might perform the biopsy and provide treatment during the visit.

Treatments

·         SIMPLE SURGICAL EXCISION

·         MOHS MICROGRAPHIC SURGERY

·         ELECTRODESICCATION AND CURETTAGE

·         CRYOSURGERY

·         RADIATION THERAPY

·         LASER SURGERY

·         TOPICAL THERAPY

·         PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

The second most common form of skin cancer is Squamous cell carcinoma 20% of people diagnosed with skin cancer are found to have Squamous cell carcinoma. This is more serious than Basal cell carcinoma and requires urgent treatment.

With early detection and proper treatment, Squamous cell carcinoma is curable but if it is allowed to progress, it can invade and destroy much of the tissue surrounding the cancerous tumour, which can be disfiguring.

Symptoms of Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Squamous cell carcinoma usually looks like a red, crusted, or scaly patch on the skin, a non-healing ulcer, or a firm red nodule. Generally appearing on the head, neck, ears, trunk, and arms, it also can develop on other areas of the body. Some develop from small, sandpaper-like lesions called actinic keratoses, which also are caused by exposure to sun's UV rays.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis must be confirmed with a biopsy. This simple procedure can be performed in the office and involves removing a small amount of tissue so that it can be examined under a microscope.

Treatments

·         SIMPLE SURGICAL EXCISION

·         MOHS MICROGRAPHIC SURGERY

·         ELECTRODESICCATION AND CURETTAGE

·         CRYOSURGERY

·         RADIATION THERAPY

·         TOPICAL THERAPY

Left untreated, aggressive Squamous cell Carcinomas has a greater risk of spreading to the lymph nodes and other internal organs.

Melanoma or Malignant Melanoma

The most dangerous of the three types of skin cancer is Melanoma, but if caught quickly enough and treated Melanoma has a high cure rate.

Dermatologists strongly encourage everyone to perform regular skin self-examinations. These exams can help people recognize any changes to their skin that could be a sign of melanoma.

Symptoms of Melanoma

Melanoma often begins in or near an existing mole. A change to the shape, colour, or diameter of a mole can be a warning sign of melanoma.

Other changes that could indicate melanoma include a mole that becomes painful, or begins to bleed or itch.

Not all melanomas develop in or near an existing mole. Some develop suddenly and without warning on normal skin. A sudden, new growth could be melanoma.

Diagnosis

Biopsy is a simple procedure that a dermatologist can perform in the office. To perform a biopsy, a dermatologist will numb the area and remove the entire lesion, or a portion of it, so that the tissue can be examined under a microscope.

Treatment

Is dependant on the stage of the melanoma

Stage 1: Melanoma is confined to the top layer of skin.

Stage 1-2: Melanoma is confined to the skin, but has increasing thickness and the skin may be intact or ulcerated.

Stage 3: Melanoma has spread to a nearby lymph node and is found in increasing amounts within one or more lymph nodes.

Stage 4: Melanoma has spread to internal organs, beyond the closest lymph nodes to other lymph nodes, or areas of skin far from the original tumour.